Source: European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) (be)
Date: 2010-02-08

In the first case of its kind, a third country national has
received a custodial sentence in the United States for fraud
against the financial interests of the European Union and has
been ordered to re-pay $1.5 million in restitution.

In the so-called "Miami" case, the Court in the Southern
District of Florida has sentenced a US citizen to 2 years in jail
and ordered him to re-pay a massive $1.5 million to the EU
authorities for his part in smuggling millions of cigarettes onto
the EU black market. Roman Vidal was handed the sentence on
Friday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to charges
relating to his part in defrauding European taxpayers of several
million Euros in customs duties and taxes. The defendant had
conspired with individuals in the EU to smuggle cigarettes
mis-described as other goods from the port of Miami into a number
of EU countries including Germany, Ireland and the United
Kingdom.