Posted on 09/26/2013 3:45:37 AM PDT by fruser1
WASHINGTON – Government agents acting without authorization conducted dozens of undercover investigations of illegal tobacco sales, misused some of $162 million in profits from the stings and lost track of at least 420 million cigarettes, the Justice Department's inspector general said Wednesday.
In one case, agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sold $15 million in cigarettes and later turned over $4.9 million in profits from the sales to a confidential informant — even though the agency did not properly account for the transaction.
The audit described widespread lack of ATF oversight and inadequate paperwork in the agency's "churning investigations," undercover operations that use proceeds from illicit cigarette sales to pay for the ATF's costs.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Nooooooooooooo... that would imply an ongoing, constant, criminal enterprise. Our government would NEVER do that. After all, they only hire the finest among us, those who are the only ones who can be trusted with firearms (after a 2-hour training video)! No, nononononono, these were simply "misplaced"!
Ahem
:: undercover operations that use proceeds from illicit cigarette sales to pay for the ATF’s costs. ::
Had to stop and consider this sentence for a moment.
This section of a legitimate agency is being funded by revenue from illegal sales.
How, then, is the ATF different from gang-bangers (or Al Capone for that matter?)
:: What kind of storage facility does one need to hide 2.1 million cartons? ::
A 2-car garage when all sales are I/O-JIT.
Nobody, nobody, saw that coming. /BITTER, BITTER SARC
There have been economic treatises written about how there is an almost direct correlation between cigarette taxes and black market smuggling. But you have to have studied economics, or even have a passing interest in economics, to understand that, which leaves out all Democrats, and most Republicans.
“How, then, is the ATF different from gang-bangers (or Al Capone for that matter?)”
It’s not, other than it’s “legal”.
Which is why I mentioned the RICO law - Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act (originally used against the mob).
SAM as in Uncle Sam stands for Socially Acceptable Mafia.
Times may change, but revenue agents remain corrupt.
Up in Smoke.
They probably had extra room in the back of the train of weapons they were sending to Mexico. So why not fill it up with some cheap cigs?
Our government at work.
There is virtually no govt program that doesn't have fraud built right into it.
Dem controlled city and county govts are even worse, especially when judges are dems.
Hey peeps cut the ATF some slack — they’re gettin’ better.
This time they didn’t ‘lose’ guns.
I think somebody had a point when they referred to the ATF as “The Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, Firearms, Explosives, Gambling, Smuggling, Reckless Driving, Teen Girls, Pornography, and Watching Bullfights on Acid.”
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