3 Pa. men to face charges linked to Cigarette Tax Act

MERCER, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State Police said charges of violating the state's Cigarette Tax Act are pending against three Erie men accused of trying to smuggle $43,000 worth of untaxed cigarettes through Mercer County.
Trooper Richard Houk spotted the vehicles on Interstate 80 as they traveled through Mercer County around 5 p.m. Saturday. He said the drivers of the two cars committed numerous traffic violations and he radioed for assistance to stop them.
Both cars got off I-80 at the Barkeyville exit at milepost 20, however, and stopped at the Truck Stops of America on state Route 8, Houk said.
As the three occupants got out of the vehicles, Houk said he approached them and identified himself.
He said he suspected that some criminal activity might be occurring so he asked for, and got, permission to search the vehicles.
He found 540 cartons of untaxed cigarettes in the trunk of one car and 530 cartons of untaxed cigarettes in the second, he said, noting that the cigarettes had a value of about $43,000.