Author Topic: Woman Carrying $47K in Bra at Airport Sues (Read 442 times)

bigsky · « **on:** June 24, 2005, 11:34:39 AM »

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/23/national/a134858D18.DTL

Woman Carrying $47K in Bra at Airport Sues

(06-23) 13:48 PDT BOSTON, (AP) --

A Quincy woman who apparently stuffed $46,950 in cash in her bra before trying to board a plane to Texas for plastic surgery has sued a federal agency, demanding the return of her money.

The money was seized from Ileana Valdez, 26, after a security check at a metal detector at Logan International Airport on Feb. 3. Valdez told authorities she was heading to Texas for plastic surgery on her buttocks and breasts.

"I don't know why she was carrying it (the cash) in her bra," said Boston lawyer Tony V. Blaize, who filed the suit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Boston on behalf of Valdez.

In her suit, Valdez said a male Drug Enforcement Administration agent told her she had a nice body and didn't need surgery — and then seized the cash, claiming it was drug money.

Valdez, a single mother said in her suit that she has no criminal record and earned the money by selling her Dorchester business and two parcels of property in Boston's Jamaica Plain section.

Anthony Pettigrew, a spokesman for the DEA in Boston, said he could not comment on the lawsuit. But he said federal asset forfeiture laws allow agents to seize suspected drug profits.
lol i wonder how it was discovered?

Meatwad · « **Reply #1 on:** June 24, 2005, 11:48:24 AM »

I heard that there is a lucky guard at some airports that fondle a womand buttocks and breasts for hidden drugs, money, etc. If she is homely, he wont touch her. (I heard it on an AM radio station, it must be true)

Rooster · « **Reply #2 on:** June 24, 2005, 01:01:49 PM »

you have more money on you than some agent thinks you should have, tough luck and thankyou for the donation. Have some land that the town wants to put a Dennys on (which the mayors brother in law is part owner of the development complany) thankyou for the land and 50¢ on the dollar.

maybe its time for a tinfoil hat. But I am more afraid its not.

Raider179 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 24, 2005, 01:04:12 PM »

Not sure about the buttocks but implants are 10k and less. 10k being high end most are less. So unless she's getting a 40k bellybutton she is full of it.

AWMac · « **Reply #4 on:** June 24, 2005, 01:11:23 PM »

I heard she was getting two done and four more attached for that "Six Pack" look.

Chairboy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:02:03 PM »

Doesn't matter if she's a drug dealer or not. The important thing missing from this is due process.

Pogo nailed in. "We have seen the enemy, and he is us."

The same mindset of "If she has that much money she MUST be up to no good and deserves to have the money confiscated" is the same sequence that leads to "If that guy is black and talked to that girl, he is obviously up to no good and deserves to be lynched".

Justice is not being served by the DEA being able to confiscate without proof (or even EVIDENCE) of wrongdoing.

Toad · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:20:01 PM »

Did she have another ticket out of Texas into a foreign country? Or did the cops have any reason to suspect she was leaving the country?

If you're leaving the US with >$10K, you have to declare it. If you don't, they can confiscate it.

I wonder if this is the whole story. Seems like she'll get it all back and then some if they can't prove she both undeclared $/ leaving the US.

Chairboy · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:25:03 PM »

Nope. The way it's set up, they can now keep her money with no explanation. The war on drugs has brought us to a point where the appearance of impropriety is enough to take and keep assets.

60 Minutes did a piece on this a few years ago. A tree farmer, the kind who didn't like to deal with banks a lot, would fly from his state to another to buy saplings, hundreds of them. He would make the purchase in cash, legal tender. He bought his plane ticket with cash, which made the ticket seller suspicious. She told security, they confiscated the cash, and it was gone. No jail, no detention, just 'thanks, bye'. Why? Obviously, anyone who is carrying a lot of cash MUST be a drug dealer.

The DEA is unrepetant about it. This is perfectly fine, they argue. It 'discourages' those drug dealers that we can't build cases against, they say.

*Slow clap for the proponents of the drug war* Well done.

stantond · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:26:16 PM »

Who would walk around with $47K on them in cash when they could just use a bank and write a check? $47K is 470 100 dollar bills. That's alot of paper!

What doctor would require $47K up front, or a check for $47K? The story does not sound truthful. If I were having cosmetic surgery, I would make sure I did not die (for my kids sake) and the surgery went as promised before paying out the money. I just can't feel sorry for this person.

Regards,

Malta

Toad · « **Reply #9 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:29:22 PM »

Has one of these cases made it to SCOTUS yet?

Chairboy · « **Reply #10 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:30:00 PM »

Are you arguing, Malta, that the _appearance_ of impropriety is enough for a conviction? Because that's essentially what's happened, and she was charged a $47K fine, no appeal possible.

Saurdaukar · « **Reply #11 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:31:45 PM »

Rectangular boobage?

Saur says nein.

bigsky · « **Reply #12 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:33:35 PM »

i saw a guy driving a very expensive car the other day. he must be up to something, it should be conviscated.

stantond · « **Reply #13 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:36:44 PM »

I am arguing (if it can be called that) while there is no law against stupidity, it gets factored in. Igorance of the law is expensive. The article describes what kind of idiot would walk around with that much cash.

Much like people who continue to build houses in the same location that get destroyed each year by ocean storms, I can't feel sorry for this person.

Regards,

Malta

SOB · « **Reply #14 on:** June 24, 2005, 03:40:26 PM »

And what is being argued back is the validity and common sense of this law. Is carrying 47K around in your bra stupid? Maybe. Is it any of your or the government's business? No.