Liverpool man jailed over cigarette fraud
A LIVERPOOL businessman has been jailed after more than 5.5 million smuggled cigarettes were discovered at a Huyton industrial unit.
Stephen Riozzi, 53, of The Park, Huyton, was found at the industrial unit in December 2011 by HM Revenue and Customs investigators.
The unit, on Wilson Road, contained 20 pallets of cigarettes smuggled from China and over 182kgs of counterfeit hand rolling tobacco worth an estimated £1.1m in evaded tax.
Sandra Smith, assistant director, criminal investigation, HMRC, said:
“Riozzi has profited from the illegal trade in smuggled cigarettes and counterfeit tobacco and now faces a full investigation of his assets in the UK and abroad.”
When Riozzi was arrested, he gave investigators a false address and denied any knowledge of the illegal tobacco products. However, HMRC officers found over £56,200 and 6,310 euros in cash hidden in wash bags in his wardrobe at his home.
Riozzi pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court in January 2014 and was jailed for 53 months at Liverpool Crown Court. He received 39 months jail for the two customs evasion offences to run concurrently and 14 months for possessing criminal property to run consecutively.
