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Customs Collects $300,000 In Counterfeit Cash At JFK
By
Garth Johnston
Published Dec 28, 2011
Modified Dec 28, 2011
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Dec 28, 2011
Modified Dec 28, 2011
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Some criminals did not get their Christmas present this year. Last week Customs and Border Protection say they found nearly $300,000 in counterfeit $100 dollar bills in the bag of a woman flying into JFK from Medellin, Colombia. Sadly, the stash wasn't found by the TSA—because we'd love to have seen the note they might have left with all that fake moolah.
"Our officers are always on the lookout for items that can harm our communities; in this case it was counterfeit currency," explained Robert Perez, CBP director of field operations in New York. According to Customs, officers last Thursday noticed that Karol Andrea Chilito Solarte's bag seemed suspicious—specifically they noticed an "unusual thickness in the bottom of her suitcases." So they looked closer and found a false bottom underneath which housed 46 packages of fake Benjamins.
Chilito Solarte, a 29-year-old Colombian citizen, has been turned over to the Secret Service and will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. At least she wasn't caught passing fake twenties to strippers?
Tagged
colombia
counterfeit
customs
JFK
jfk airport
money
Garth Johnston
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