Your earlier post noted that an insider said that OFAC would go down the list of people that they had obtained. Is there any indication that they do this by date or by last name? I'm asking because if they are going alphabetically, I've heard that they're on the letter M (W-letter).
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The Letters - Update December 21, 2008
- Thread starter Ginseng
- Start date
Your earlier post noted that an insider said that OFAC would go down the list of people that they had obtained. Is there any indication that they do this by date or by last name? I'm asking because if they are going alphabetically, I've heard that they're on the letter M (W-letter).
badhangover
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2006
- Messages
- 701
I know several people who have very recently received a warning letter. Some of those have surnames beginning with letters higher in the alphabet than M.
All still for the same time period. No RFI letters as of late from any of the recent recipients I am aware of.
All still for the same time period. No RFI letters as of late from any of the recent recipients I am aware of.
Someone on another board claims to have received a warning letter at the end of July referencing March 2005 transactions. I don't think there's much of a pattern.
The information has been sparse and I don't know that anyone has collated what there is to look for patterns with regard who gets tagged, when. Truth be known, if the list of violators is sorted in some way, no one has forwarded any plausible criterion for the sort. I can say that it does not appear to be solely by offender last name or transaction date. I also do know that others who were RFI'd were for transactions NOT with the vendor at the heart of this. In one case for sure, the smoking gun appears to point squarely at one of the largest, most well-known PaymentProcessors that operate on the net. As far as 0FAC is concerned, it seems that one vendor remains a significant focus of their attentions but that if targets of opportunity present themselves, they will get pursued on a different, and more immediate time frame.
Wilkey
Wilkey
Thanks for the updates guys. A friend of mine here in Minnesota just got a warning letter a week ago referencing a 2006 purchase which he believes was received from the Asia/Pacific (almost) referenced throughout this thread. I am not sure how payment was made but I will find out next time I speak with him.
- Tim
- Tim
Wilkey do you by any chance have access to the ENF #'s posted on the letters?
That way we could match ENF #'s with Surname, date of offense and date of letter received and put into some type of Spreadsheet. SO we can better understand the pattern IF ANY of the letters.
Obviously it would for your eyes only as to protect all those parties involved.
That way we could match ENF #'s with Surname, date of offense and date of letter received and put into some type of Spreadsheet. SO we can better understand the pattern IF ANY of the letters.
Obviously it would for your eyes only as to protect all those parties involved.
Alex,
I don't have complete information on many of the reports I have gathered. Some folks have been quite open in sharing things like scans of their letters but the majority were pretty scared. They provided only the minimum information we were looking for at the time. Stuff like vendor, geographic region, alleged date of purchase, alleged purchase amount.
This is one case where what has happened to folks has scared them sufficiently to effectively squelch the sharing and consolidation of information. This is intimidation at its most bald. And it's worked. This is particularly noteworthy as I have not heard of any threat of follow-up actions or gag agreements as part of the settlement process.
In my estimation, divining a pattern of selection, while interesting, would be of little practical use. The fact of the matter is that a great many people are at risk and the impression is that a letter of one kind or another is going to come. Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday. So there is this great pall of trepidation hanging over many, many people.
I don't know that we can do anything to assuage the anxieties of these people. The dark clouds will not lift until something significant changes at the administrative level.
The fact of the matter is that while one may construct any number of persuasive arguments against the moral and ethical justification for the present law, purchasing Cuban cigars is an illegal act. End of story.
Wilkey
I don't have complete information on many of the reports I have gathered. Some folks have been quite open in sharing things like scans of their letters but the majority were pretty scared. They provided only the minimum information we were looking for at the time. Stuff like vendor, geographic region, alleged date of purchase, alleged purchase amount.
This is one case where what has happened to folks has scared them sufficiently to effectively squelch the sharing and consolidation of information. This is intimidation at its most bald. And it's worked. This is particularly noteworthy as I have not heard of any threat of follow-up actions or gag agreements as part of the settlement process.
In my estimation, divining a pattern of selection, while interesting, would be of little practical use. The fact of the matter is that a great many people are at risk and the impression is that a letter of one kind or another is going to come. Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday. So there is this great pall of trepidation hanging over many, many people.
I don't know that we can do anything to assuage the anxieties of these people. The dark clouds will not lift until something significant changes at the administrative level.
The fact of the matter is that while one may construct any number of persuasive arguments against the moral and ethical justification for the present law, purchasing Cuban cigars is an illegal act. End of story.
Wilkey
What are the dates of alleged transgressions?
perfectform
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2008
- Messages
- 14
Hi gents,
So would it be fair to surmise from all of this that one will not be fined if no letters and/or confiscations occur?
So would it be fair to surmise from all of this that one will not be fined if no letters and/or confiscations occur?
Yes. And No
No letters no fines.
Some have had confiscation with no letters and no fines.
I have seen ppl that have had no confiscations occur ever. But still received a letter.. and No fines.
I have also seen ppl that have had no confiscations occur ever. But still received a letter.. With fines.
Good old OFAC!!
perfectform
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2008
- Messages
- 14
Yes. And No
No letters no fines.
Some have had confiscation with no letters and no fines.
I have seen ppl that have had no confiscations occur ever. But still received a letter.. and No fines.
I have also seen ppl that have had no confiscations occur ever. But still received a letter.. With fines.
Good old OFAC!!
Thanks, I think ???
Any agency run by the gov't seems to operate in weird and sporadic fashion. On a good (I guess) note, there were only two civil actions levied against individuals last month.... :thumbs:
RamblinJoe
New Member
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- Nov 16, 2005
- Messages
- 6
FYI friend got W-letter yesterday for $120 Feb "05 usual suspect.
Cohibacigars
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2008
- Messages
- 52
Any new info?
Well, well, well.
I recently received a package from a vendor in the Asia/Pacific region that arrived cut open, un-resealed, and empty except for some bubble wrap and a slip of paper approximately 3" x 4" on which was printed the following under a Dept. of Homeland Security emblem:
NOTICE
NARCOTICS AND/OR OTHER CONTRABAND,
PROHIBITED FROM ENTRY INTO THE UNITED
STATES, HAVE BEEN SEIZED AND REMOVED
FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION UNDER
19CFR145.59. YOU WILL BE RECEIVING
CORRESPONDENCE FROM OUR FINES,
PENALTIES, AND FORFEITURES BRANCH IN
THE NEAR FUTURE.
Now, this slip of paper was printed in black ink in below average resolution on plain printer paper. In fact, I'm pretty sure it had been cut from a sheet containing several copies of this same message. Frankly, it looked low-tech, amateurish, and if I hadn't done some research; fake. I did some googling and discovered some folks on other cigar boards with the same experience and, sort of frighteningly, some boards that seem to have something to do with mail order drugs.
This is not like any other warning I have heard of so far and I can't find much info. Can anyone shed any light on this - feel free to PM me if you prefer.
- Tim
I recently received a package from a vendor in the Asia/Pacific region that arrived cut open, un-resealed, and empty except for some bubble wrap and a slip of paper approximately 3" x 4" on which was printed the following under a Dept. of Homeland Security emblem:
NOTICE
NARCOTICS AND/OR OTHER CONTRABAND,
PROHIBITED FROM ENTRY INTO THE UNITED
STATES, HAVE BEEN SEIZED AND REMOVED
FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION UNDER
19CFR145.59. YOU WILL BE RECEIVING
CORRESPONDENCE FROM OUR FINES,
PENALTIES, AND FORFEITURES BRANCH IN
THE NEAR FUTURE.
Now, this slip of paper was printed in black ink in below average resolution on plain printer paper. In fact, I'm pretty sure it had been cut from a sheet containing several copies of this same message. Frankly, it looked low-tech, amateurish, and if I hadn't done some research; fake. I did some googling and discovered some folks on other cigar boards with the same experience and, sort of frighteningly, some boards that seem to have something to do with mail order drugs.
This is not like any other warning I have heard of so far and I can't find much info. Can anyone shed any light on this - feel free to PM me if you prefer.
- Tim
chainer
Member
- Joined
- May 5, 2008
- Messages
- 821
PM sent, hope it helps a little :/
