OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld a $47.7 million judgment awarded to the state over the sale of illegal contraband cigarettes.
The state's high court ruled Tuesday against Native Wholesale Supply, a company chartered by the Sac and Fox Tribe of Oklahoma. The state Attorney General's Office had requested the judgment be deposited into the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Fund.
A lawsuit filed by the state in 2008 accused the company of violating an agreement that requires tobacco manufacturers and their brand families to be listed on a directory maintained by the attorney general. Cigarettes not on the list are illegal and are not taxed by the state.
An attorney for Native Wholesale Supply, Paula Williams, declined comment on the decision.