Oregon Department of Justice

Attorney General Hardy Myers today announced the conviction of Duc Minh Ta, a former Portland area tobacco distributor, for violations of the state's tobacco tax, racketeering, and money laundering laws. Duc Minh Ta, the former owner and operator of WD Distribution and BC Wholesale & Fixtures, plead guilty in March to Racketeering, Unlawful Distribution of Tobacco Products, Money Laundering, and Rendering A False Tobacco Tax Return in Marion County Circuit Court.

On June 28, Ta was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison and will be required to pay in excess of $800,000 to the Oregon Department of Revenue. Once released from prison, Ta will serve three years of post-prison supervision.

The case was investigated and prosecuted by officials from the Tobacco Compliance Task Force, which includes the Oregon State Police, the Oregon Department of Justice, and the Oregon Department of Revenue. Investigators confirmed that, for several years, Ta illegally purchased untaxed tobacco products from multiple sources, including Lil' Brown Smoke Shack, which is located on the Yakima Indian Reservation in Yakima, Washington. Ta then sold the tobacco to Portland area retailers without reporting and paying the tax owed to the Oregon Department of Revenue in violation of state law.