Lawyer Faces Disbarment for Smuggling Cuban Cigars

One attorney who found a lucrative sideline in smuggling cigars into the US from Cuba may be losing his main paycheck. A disciplinary committee governing lawyers in the state of Illinois is considering disbarment for Richard Connors, who was convicted in 2002 of charges connected to his smuggling days.

Back in the 1990s, Connors took 31 trips to Cuba for purposes of bringing back the illegal smokes before getting caught with a trunk full of the contraband. It was the naughty barrister’s ex-wife that blew the whistle on his activities. Nicole Chakalis informed authorities that her ex was running a “fairly lucrative Cuban cigar smuggling operation,” according to the Legal Profession Blog.

As a result, Connors spent 37 months in the slammer and paid a $60,000 fine. However, that’s not the end of it, since now he’s facing loss of his license to practice law. Sure, Cubans are wonderful, but maybe not worth losing your career over.


Montagne, Mass., Snuffs Out Tobacco Sales

One city is making it less convenient to buy tobacco products, but is this really the best way to keep cigarettes out of the hands of minors?

Some areas have enacted strict anti-smoking laws over the last few years, but the one about to take effect in Montagne, MA, is more restrictive than most. Starting October 1, drug stores and pharmacies will no longer be allowed to sell any tobacco products.

Montagne’s Director of Public Health Gina McNeely explained how the way tobacco products are marketed to young adults influenced the new regulations. She told 22News of seeing a pack of two cigars wrapped in pink and purple selling for $3.

“Even for me as an adult woman, the colors attracted me. The pink and the purple. This is strawberry. It smells kind of like strawberry bubble gum.”

According to the new regulations, stores that carry health products will no longer be allowed to carry tobacco products, but groceries that do not have pharmacies will be exempt. However, if they sell cigars, they must be encased in packs of four.