DETROIT, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs agents seized almost $20,000 from a man who tried to bring his winnings from a Canadian casino home without declaring them, officials say.
The man and a friend said they were carrying less than $10,000 each when they returned to Michigan from the Windsor Casino in Ontario on Monday morning, with one declaring $9,400 and the other $9,500, WDIV-TV, Detroit, reported. Both responded "no" to a question on a form on whether they were carrying more than $10,000.
The U.S. and Canadian dollars are currently valued at close to a 1-1 ratio.
One man finally acknowledged he won $40,000, left about half the money on deposit with the casino and gave half the remainder to his friend to hold. Customs and Border Protection describes that as the civil offense of currency structuring.
"It is not illegal to carry money into or out of the country," Port Director Roderick Blanchard told the TV station. "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."
