Braintree, Milton Men Accused Of Running Illegal Tobacco Ring

BRAINTREE, MA — Two men from Braintree and Milton were indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury after prosecutors said they illegally sold tobacco products worth $360,000 in taxes. Paul Veneto, 60, of Braintree, and James Indelicato, 52, of Milton, were both charged with conspiracy to commit tax evasion and mondey laundering. Indelicato was also charged with two counts of tax evasion.

According to Attorney General Maura Healey's office, Indelicato ran a tobacco distribution network out of his home and a storage facility in Randolph from 2016 to 2018. Veneto delivered the products to retail stores and gas stations across Massachusetts, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Indelicato imported smoking tobacco, cigars, and smokeless tobacco from distributors in Pennsylvania and then sold the products via a delivery van to retail stores and gas stations in Abington, Boston, Dedham, Holbrook, Quincy, Randolph and Weymouth. Indelicato ran the scheme through his business, MetroMax Inc., the Attorney General's office said.

According to prosecutors, Indelicato sold tobacco products that required taxes of over $360,000 and failed to pay any tax associated with the sale and distribution of the products. Authorities said Indelicato used the cash paid by retailers to buy more tobacco products and further the scheme. Prosecutors said he tried to hide the scheme by purchasing small money orders.

Under the direction of Indelicato, Veneto delivered the tobacco products to customers, purchased the money orders to buy more tobacco products and helped transport tobacco products from staging areas, prosecutors said. Those facilities included a Randolph self-storage facility, Indelicato's home and a shipping terminal in Billerica.

Indelicato and Veneto will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court at a later date.