A Tonawanda man is in trouble for possessing untaxed cigarettes.
Justin Beebe, 36, faces charges filed by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
Beebe was pulled over by Erie County Sheriff's deputies on Route 219 in the town of Boston Saturday. They reported 500 cartons of untaxed cigarettes found in the car.
The Tax Department's Cigarette Strike Force was called in and Beebe was charged with criminal tax fraud and possession of untaxed cigarettes, both felonies. The taxes owed on the cigarettes total nearly $22,000.
In addition to criminal charges, Beebe faces a possible fine of $600 per carton of cigarettes that were seized. He is scheduled to be in Boston Town Court Monday.