POSTED: Tuesday, November 2, 2010
UPDATED: 4:26 pm EDT November 2, 2010
DETROIT -- A U.S. citizen who won big at the Windsor casino Monday night became a big loser when he tried to bring his winnings back to America.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers at the Detroit Windsor Tunnel seized $19,901 from two men returning from a trip to the Windsor Casino because they tried to avoid declaring the cash by structuring their return into America so that neither of them carried more than $10,000 across the border, the agency said.
Around 11 a.m. Monday, the two U.S. citizens told border agents that they were returning home from a night of gambling at the Windsor Casino. When the agent asked if they were aware of the currency reporting requirements when entering the U.S., they said yes and that one was carrying $9,400 and the other was carrying $9,500.
During a secondary exam, the men completed a written declaration form and answered "no" to the question “I am carrying currency or monetary instruments over $10,000 US or foreign equivalent.”
CBP agents said both men claimed to have taken $4,000 in U.S. currency to the casino and were returning with their winnings.
As CBP agents counted the money, one of the men became nervous and said that he had lost his money at the casino and was carrying money that the driver had won.
The driver admitted that he had won $40,000 at the casino that night. He said he deposited $20,000 at the casino and then split the remaining with his passenger so that both would be carrying under $10,000 in cash over the border.
The CBP said the men committed a civil offense called currency structuring to avoid declaration. The penalty for that is seizure of the currency.
“It is not illegal to carry money into or out of the country,” stated Port Director Roderick Blanchard. “It is required that you give an accurate declaration of the amount of money you are carrying. Anyone carrying or causing to be carried, in excess of $10,000 must fill out the appropriate paperwork when entering or leaving the country.”
UPDATED: 4:26 pm EDT November 2, 2010
DETROIT -- A U.S. citizen who won big at the Windsor casino Monday night became a big loser when he tried to bring his winnings back to America.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers at the Detroit Windsor Tunnel seized $19,901 from two men returning from a trip to the Windsor Casino because they tried to avoid declaring the cash by structuring their return into America so that neither of them carried more than $10,000 across the border, the agency said.
Around 11 a.m. Monday, the two U.S. citizens told border agents that they were returning home from a night of gambling at the Windsor Casino. When the agent asked if they were aware of the currency reporting requirements when entering the U.S., they said yes and that one was carrying $9,400 and the other was carrying $9,500.
During a secondary exam, the men completed a written declaration form and answered "no" to the question “I am carrying currency or monetary instruments over $10,000 US or foreign equivalent.”
CBP agents said both men claimed to have taken $4,000 in U.S. currency to the casino and were returning with their winnings.
As CBP agents counted the money, one of the men became nervous and said that he had lost his money at the casino and was carrying money that the driver had won.
The driver admitted that he had won $40,000 at the casino that night. He said he deposited $20,000 at the casino and then split the remaining with his passenger so that both would be carrying under $10,000 in cash over the border.
The CBP said the men committed a civil offense called currency structuring to avoid declaration. The penalty for that is seizure of the currency.
“It is not illegal to carry money into or out of the country,” stated Port Director Roderick Blanchard. “It is required that you give an accurate declaration of the amount of money you are carrying. Anyone carrying or causing to be carried, in excess of $10,000 must fill out the appropriate paperwork when entering or leaving the country.”
