Feds: Woman Tried To Smuggle $170,000 In Underwear

People will do crazy things to avoid paying taxes, so add this one to the long list: Sewing $170,000 into underwear. The feds arrested a Queens woman last summer at JFK Airport for trying to enter the country without declaring the money. According to the Daily News, "Claire Abdeldaim's real estate booty consisted of 1,699 $100 bills," and a U.S. Customs agent told his supervisor, "We got a big one."

Abdeldaim had sold some land—owned by her late husband—in the Sudan and headed back home: "During a layover in Amsterdam on a flight from Khartoum, she removed the underwear in a bathroom and stashed it in her purse. When Abdeldaim arrived in New York, she claimed she had only $17,000 in her purse." But Customs & Border Protection Officer George Wolynski was suspicious of the underwear in the purse and found the rest of the cash.

Abdeldaim's lawyer suggested that she left off a zero on her customs form and that Wolynski didn't let her change her declaration. Wolynski denied that, saying she eventually confessed that her friend told her to stay mum about the money. The 64-year-old, currently out on $100,000 bail, faces 21 months in prison if convicted of smuggling charges.

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By Jen Chung in News on March 8, 2011 8:44 AM

Comments [rss]

Stiff01

It just shows what a fucking mess our tax code is that a grandmother had the sense to try and stiff the government . Do any of you realize the U S tax code gets updated every six months or so ? That means more money coming out your pocket . Hell it was a stupid plan but I can't fault her for trying .

ih8bloomturd

What a criminal lock her up along with all the pot smokers

shocktheday

She was better off leaving the money in an off-shore account and not spending that money here in the U.S. Something is backwards here.

Stiff01

No the U S has treaties with most countries now , You do it and get away with it anymore . Remeber UBS ?

unretrofiedforu

Yeah. I think it's called 'lack of common sense'.

Rocknrope

Moral of the story: when you sew 170K into your skivvies, don't take them off. No Customs agent is going to want to search a 64-year old.

cr17

"Ma'am - please drop them granny pannies."

Rocknrope

If she really wanted to get away with it, she should've worn them under a pair of Depends. Guaranteed that the CO would wave her through unmolested.

silver

If she really wanted to get away with it, she wouldve turned the cash to diamonds, then put the diamonds in a bag and up her ass. When back in NYC, goto hole in the wall diamond district place and convert it back to cash.