Thread: Man convicted of smuggling $127,000 undeclared cash into US

I.C.E. News Release

October 7, 2009

Florida man convicted of smuggling over $120,000 of undeclared money into the United States

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A Davie man was found guilty before a federal jury in West Palm Beach Tuesday of bulk cash smuggling, failure to report transported monetary instruments, and making false statements to a federal agency following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Juan Antonio Moya-Rodriguez, 31, faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count to be followed by a term of up to three years of supervised release at his sentencing hearing on Dec. 14 before U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks.

According to evidence presented at trial, on July 26, ICE special agents arrested Moya-Rodriguez after he was found with approximately $123,548 in undeclared U.S. currency by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. Rodriguez was traveling on Spirit Airlines from Panama City, Panama, to the United States and had the U.S. currency taped to the inside of three pairs of jeans hidden at the bottom of his suitcase. Moya-Rodriguez initially told CBP officers that he only was in possession of $7,500. However, upon being confronted with the money recovered in his jeans, he admitted to law enforcement that he possessed approximately $127,000.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey H. Sloman commended the investigative efforts of ICE's Office of Investigations in Miami, CBP, and the Broward County Sheriff's Office Money Laundering Task Force.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lothrop Morris and Jennifer C. Millien.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0910/091007miami.htm

Just another "weapons buying" mission foiled... CURSES!!!!