UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Ted GORD, Defendant-Appellee

The government appeals the district court’s dismissal of Ted Gord’s indictment. We reverse and remand for trial.

I

Ted Gord managed a smoke shop in Tacoma, Washington, known as the Thunderbird Trading Post. According to the indictment, Gord and co-conspirators knowingly and unlawfully received, possessed, and distributed cigarettes that did not have tax stamps required by Washington state law, and laundered millions of dollars from the scheme in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956(a)(l)(A)(i), 2341-2342.

The district court dismissed the indictment, adopting the opinion in a similar ease, United…