Fayetteville Man Sentenced To Prison For Smuggling More
Than $106,000 From England Into The U.S.
Defendant Had Numerous Bundles of Cash Hidden in His Luggage
and on His Person Upon Arrival at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport From London
ATLANTA, GA - STEPHEN WILLOUGHBY, 37, of Fayetteville, Georgia was sentenced today by United States District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. to federal prison after being convicted at trial of bulk cash smuggling.
United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “This defendant attempted to smuggle excessive amounts of cash through the world’s busiest airport on two separate occasions. The laws requiring international travelers to declare more than $10,000 in cash when entering or leaving the United States serve to prevent money laundering and financing of a variety of illegal conduct. We will continue to vigorously enforce these laws.”
“The common denominator for most transnational criminal activity is bulk cash," said Brock D. Nicholson, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta. “By targeting and seizing the illicit proceeds being moved into and out of the United States, we are really hitting these criminal organizations where it hurts - on their bottom lines.” Nicholson oversees HSI activities in Georgia and the Carolinas.
WILLOUGHBY was sentenced to 1 year, 9 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. WILLOUGHBY was convicted of these charges on January 12, 2012, after a trial before Judge Pannell.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: WILLOUGHBY arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (HJIA) on February 13, 2011 after a direct flight from London, England. WILLOUGHBY had imported a large amount of currency on a previous occasion and had failed to properly declare it. As a result, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Officers had placed a lookout on him and were watching for his arrival at the international terminal of HJIA. Upon landing, WILLOUGHBY filled out a declaration form, presented it to CBP passport inspectors, declared that he was carrying less than $10,000 in currency, and told CBP officers that he was carrying a mere $100. A subsequent search of WILLOUGHBY’S luggage and a pat-down of his person led to the discovery of $106,802 in U.S. currency.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Greg Radics and Assistant United States Attorney Dahil Goss prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Information Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
