More Than $5 Million Awarded In Counterfeiting Case

GREENSBORO, NC: March 17, 2005

Florida-based Canstar has been ordered to pay $5 million for its role in the production and distribution of over 6 million counterfeit cigarettes.

Authorities raided a Canstar warehouse and seized over 26,000 cartons of fake Newport cigarettes. This is the third time that Illinois judges have ruled against fraudulent dealers of counterfeit Newports.

Forensicon was vital in the ruling in that it recovered data from a reformatted hard drive including web mails identifying Panama bank accounts used to divert funds raised by selling counterfeit products.