TTB NEWSLETTER | Weekly News

June 28, 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

Greetings! This week’s top news includes information about a TTB job vacancy in Puerto Rico, the new COLAs Online status of Conditionally Approved, our state ABC contact page, and the sentencing of a man convicted of cigarette smuggling.

TTB ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX SPECIALIST JOB POSTING – PUERTO RICO

TTB is recognized as one of the federal government’s best places to work. In 2018, we ranked in the top 2% of agency subcomponents (No. 8 of 415). If you are interested in becoming part of the TTB Team, consider applying for this position.

We are currently seeking candidates to fill one Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Specialist position in our Puerto Rico Operations office, located in San Juan. This position is a temporary appointment, not to exceed one year.

No prior federal experience is required. The candidate must be fluent in both Spanish and English. If you are interested in this position, you must apply through USAJOBS no later than July 3, 2019.

For more details, view the vacancy announcement: 19-TTB-45-P.

NEW CONDITIONALLY APPROVED STATUS ADDED TO COLAS ONLINE

The latest version of COLAs Online includes a new application status called Conditionally Approved. This feature further streamlines the label approval process by allowing us, under limited circumstances, to propose changes to the information you entered in COLAs Online in order to make it consistent with the label you submitted with your application. You have 7 days to accept or decline our proposed changes.

If you accept the changes, the status of your application automatically changes to “Approved.”
If you decline them or don’t make a decision within 7 days, the status changes to “Needs Correction,” and you can correct the inconsistencies yourself.

To learn more about this feature and the other improvements made in this release, check out What’s New in COLAs Online 4.7.

ALCOHOL BEVERAGE AUTHORITIES IN UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND PUERTO RICO

In the United States, each state has the authority to regulate the production, sale, and distribution of alcohol within its borders. This means state and local jurisdictions may have their own requirements in addition to federal requirements. State laws and regulations vary widely from state to state, and may be more restrictive than federal regulations.

You must meet all state and local requirements in any state where you plan to do business (unless federal law preempts the state law). If you plan to do business in a state, you must contact its appropriate authorities for more information about the state and local requirements.

View the directory of alcohol beverage authorities in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

ARIZONA MAN IMPRISONED FOR SMUGGLING CIGARETTES

On June 10, 2019, Vien Tang, 49, of Chandler, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to 8 months in prison for Unlawful Importation of Tobacco. TTB participated in the investigation that led to Tang’s conviction.

From 2014 through May 2018, Tang and his then-wife, Lien Tang, 47, had approximately 8,000 cartons of cigarettes shipped from Vietnam to their home in Chandler. The Tangs sold the smuggled cigarettes for cash out of the back of vehicles in parking lots of businesses in Mesa and Chandler. Lien Tang previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to three years of probation. The Tangs were ordered to pay more than $275,000 in restitution.

A copy of the press release is available on the website for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

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