15. a. Any person who imports into this State, directly or indirectly, or offers for sale, sells, distributes, transports or possesses with intent to sell a counterfeit cigarette, knowing that the cigarette is a counterfeit cigarette, shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree. As used in this section, “counterfeit cigarette” means a cigarette or a pack or other container of cigarettes that bears any reproduction or copy of a trademark, service mark, trade name, label, term, design, or work adopted by or used by a licensed manufacturer to identify its own cigarettes but is not manufactured by the owner or holder of that trademark, service mark, trade name, label, term, design, or work, or by any authorized licensee of that person.

b. Notwithstanding N.J.S. 2C:1-8 or any other provision of law, a conviction of an offense defined in this section shall not merge with a conviction for any other offense constituting the criminal activity defined in section 1 of the “New Jersey Trademark Counterfeiting Act,” P.L.1997, c.57 (C. 2C:21-32), and the sentence imposed upon a conviction of an offense defined in this section shall be ordered to be served consecutively to that imposed for a conviction of any offense under section 1 of P.L.1997, c.57 (C. 2C:21-32) constituting the criminal activity involving the counterfeit cigarettes. Nothing in section 1 of P.L.1997, c.57 (C. 2C:21-32) shall be construed to preclude or limit a prosecution or conviction for any other offense defined in P.L.1948, c.65 (C. 54:40A-1 et seq.) or any other statute.

c. (1) Proof that a person possessed a quantity of 2,000 or more counterfeit cigarettes shall give rise to an inference that the person intended to sell those cigarettes.

(2) Proof that a person who sold or distributed 2,000 or more counterfeit cigarettes did not provide or retain an invoice or other business record documenting the transfer of the cigarettes to the recipient shall give rise to an inference that the person knew that the cigarettes were counterfeit cigarettes, and proof that a person who obtained 2,000 or more counterfeit cigarettes did not receive or retain an invoice or other record of the price from the source of the cigarettes shall give rise to an inference that the person knew that the cigarettes were counterfeit cigarettes.

(3) Proof that a person who imported or possessed any quantity of counterfeit cigarettes obtained them at a price substantially below their fair and reasonable value shall give rise to an inference that the person knew that the cigarettes were counterfeit cigarettes, and proof that a person who offered for sale, sold or distributed any quantity of counterfeit cigarettes at a price substantially below their fair and reasonable value shall give rise to an inference that the person knew that the cigarettes were counterfeit cigarettes.

L.2013, c.145, s.15.