Ramadans Plead Not Guilty, Held In NY Without Bond

OCEAN CITY -- Two local business owners, indicted by a New York grand jury earlier this month for allegedly being the “ringleader” and “enterprise treasurer” for a vast cigarette smuggling and money laundering scheme with possible links to terrorism, have plead not guilty and are being held in the New York’s Department of Corrections without bond.

In mid-May, federal officials concluded an investigation into a vast multi-million dollar cigarette smuggling operation with raids on two locations in and around the resort area including the West Ocean City homes of local residents Basel Ramadan, 42, who is being called the “ringleader” and “boss” of the enterprise, and Samir Ramadan, 40, who is Basel Ramadan’s brother and has been called the “enterprise treasurer.” Federal officials also raided the Ramadan’s offices over the Subway restaurant they owned at Sunset Drive near 26th Street in Ocean City on the same day.

At the Ramadans’ West Ocean City homes in the Oyster Harbor community, $1.4 million in large black bags was recovered, along with 20,000 cartons of untaxed cigarettes. Also seized were numerous vehicles and other property belonging to the Ramadans.
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