August 25, 2010
One of the founding partners of Six Nations cigarette maker Grand River Enterprises has been found not guilty on 16 charges related to the trafficking of contraband cigarettes in the United States.
Ken Hill of Ohsweken was acquitted on all the charges following nine days of jury deliberation in the trial, which was held in Seattle, Wash. The charges facing Hill alleged he was part of a conspiracy to supply tens of millions of contraband cigarettes over a five-year period to a smoke shop on native land just north of Seattle in an attempt to avoid paying Washington state taxes.
Another co-accused in the case, Peter Montour of Hamilton, is also facing 16 charges related to trafficking of contraband cigarettes in Washington state. Due to Montour's ill health, his trial has been postponed until a later date.
The jury was unable to reach verdicts with respect to similar charges faced by a U.S. company called Native Wholesale Supply and its owner, Art Montour Jr. (no relation), a former band councillor on the Seneca tribe's reservation south of Buffalo.
A mistrial was declared and the U.S. district attorney's office has asked the judge to set a new trial date for the case involving Native Wholesale Supply and Montour Jr.