The cartons of cigarettes were placed in black plastic “leaf bags” or brown paper to disguise their detection by police.

“I would say Leweisy has purchased over a million dollars worth of cigarettes in a year and a half in the Richmond, Tri-Cities area,” Profita said.

Leweisy was indicted by a Chesterfield Circuit Court grand jury on multiple charges last spring and arrested May 24. Police did not disclose their investigation of Leweisy until this week because of ongoing efforts to learn more about his operation and who else may be involved.

He was charged with five counts each of money laundering, possession with intent to distribute tax-paid cigarettes and using a business license or tax exempt certificate under false pretenses to purchase cigarettes and a single count of conspiring to distribute tax-paid cigarettes. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 3.

An Arabic translator has been employed to assist at trial.

The arrest was Leweisy’s second in Chesterfield in less than two years. He was charged in August 2014 with possessing with the intent to distribute between 5,000 and 100,000 tax paid cigarettes, a misdemeanor. He was found guilty in October 2014 and the judge sentenced him to a 90-day suspended jail term and fined him $500.