Two men returning home from a successful casino trip lost a final gamble when U.S. Customs agents caught them falsifying the amount of their winnings.
The agents seized nearly $20,000 from a man who tried to pass through customs with his winnings without declaring them, officials say.
The two men marked "no" on a question on a form on whether they were carrying more than $10,000. One claimed he was carrying $9,400 and the other $9,500. The men were returning to Michigan from the Windsor Casino in Ontario on Monday morning, with one man admitting that they were carrying a lot more, having won $40,000 at the casino.
While it is not illegal to bring money in or out of the country, not declaring the actual amount is, resulting in the civil offense of currency structuring, according to Port
Director Roderick Blanchard. In an interview with a local TV station he said, "It is not illegal to carry money into or out of the country. 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."