A federal judge has ruled that the Cayuga Nation’s lawsuit against operators of the illicit “Pipekeepers” smoke shops can move forward, rejecting the defendants’ final efforts to dismiss the case before trial.
The decision, handed down November 3 by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, allows the Nation’s RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) case to proceed to a jury.
The Nation alleges that defendants Dustin Parker, Nora Weber, and Paul Meyer—along with Meyer’s affiliated LLCs—ran illegal smoke shops that sold untaxed cigarettes and unlicensed cannabis. According to the lawsuit, they used profits from their first operation on Bayard Street to open a second location in Montezuma, even after the Nation had lawfully shut down the original site.
The court’s 27-page ruling found there was enough evidence for a jury to decide whether the defendants broke federal laws, including the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act, and used racketeering income to fund the second shop.
“This ruling is a critical victory for the rule of law and the sovereignty of the Cayuga Nation,” a Nation Council spokesperson said in a statement. “The Court’s decision affirms our right to protect our economic interests and hold those who engage in criminal activity accountable.”
The case — Cayuga Nation v. Parker, et al. — will now proceed to trial.
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