Lapid's wife arrested in US for smuggling $50,000

**Monseratto** · January 26th, 2012 03:09 PM

Magkatugma ba yung ITR at SALN ng mag-asawa?

Lapid's wife arrested in US for smuggling $50,000 - Yahoo!

The wife of Sen. Lito Lapid was arrested shortly after her landing in Las Vegas last Jan. 15 in connection with the dollar smuggling charges filed against her after she was accosted at the international airport there last November.

Senator Lapid confirmed yesterday that his wife Marissa was arrested but she was released on bail. She will, however, remain in Las Vegas pending the resolution of the case involving the alleged smuggling of $50,000 in cash last November.

He said an American lawyer is now assisting Marissa.

“I have also sought the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs to find out what really happened,he said, adding that he has coordinated with the US embassy in Manila for clarification.

Reports from the US said agents of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Marissa Lapid at the Las Vegas International Airport last Jan. 15.

Marissa’s arrest arose from a US federal warrant issued against her on Jan. 5, 2012 in connection with her earlier arrest on Nov. 27 last year for the dollar smuggling attempt.

US authorities filed an affidavit that said Marissa was caught after she declared to Customs personnel at the Las Vegas airport that she had in her possession only $10,000.

A search of her luggage, however, yielded two socks containing $10,000 each and another $20,000 was recovered inside a cloth bag.

Under US laws, anyone carrying more than $10,000 cash should fill out Customs Form 4790 and submit it to Customs authorities at the point of entry or departure. The possessor must also be prepared to prove legitimate ownership of the cash.

US Customs officials at the Las Vegas airport reportedly seized the $50,000 cash pending investigation of the case.

Apparently, Marissa was released without posting bail and no charges were filed against her pending the investigation.

Lawyer Filmer Abrajano, Sen. Lapid’s chief of staff, said that the information they had received regarding Marissa was still sketchy and he could not say why she was released last November.

Abrajano said that Marissa spent Christmas here in the Philippines.

He said Marissa was nabbed when she returned to Las Vegas last Jan. 15. She was apparently not aware that a case had already been filed against her.

Abrajano declined to give other details upon the instruction of Marissa’s American lawyer in Las Vegas.

Sen. Lapid said that he was informed that a hearing on the case has been set on Feb. 7.

Marissa could be sentenced up to five years in jail, fined up to $250,000, and made to forfeit the $50,000 cash recovered from her if she is convicted of the offense.

The criminal complaint against Marissa cited violation of US laws, regardless of whether or not the $50,000 was acquired legally.

After a court appearance, Marissa was allowed to post bail.

The court reportedly ordered Marissa to surrender her passport, restrict her travel to only within Clark County, Nevada unless the pretrial services office of the court gives her permission to leave.

The court also ordered her to wear an ankle bracelet monitoring device.

**chua_riwap** · January 26th, 2012 03:18 PM

mahihirapan si leon guerrero nyan.
ingles ang labanan........

**yebo** · January 26th, 2012 07:59 PM

humingi daw ng tulong sa dfa. haha, may bargaining chip na para sa boto nya sa impeachment ni Corona! 1 down!

**Verbl Kint** · January 26th, 2012 08:06 PM

A little over 2 million pesos hidden in socks?? What's wrong with using credit cards?

**Monseratto** · January 26th, 2012 08:19 PM

Baka may bibilhin property, cash dapat para walang paper trail...

**yebo** · January 26th, 2012 09:13 PM

saka engot din, pwede naman i-declare yun. need mo lang naman ng proof na sa legit galing, e for sure may business naman sila na naka-register like yung sa pag-produce ng films ni ma guerero. isa pa bakit need ng cash pwede naman money transfer bank-to-bank, i-certify naman ng bank sa pinas na legit money yun. kahit naman saan pa galing yun pag pinadaan mo sa philippine bank lusot na, di ka naman i-refuse ng bank at after sila sa fee na ibabayad mo. may uncle ako nag-benta ng property sa pinas nag-bank-to-bank transfer lang $250k, bayad ng money transfer fees walang problema. mababawasan oo, pero no hassle naman.

hirap lang nga sa dami ng kurakot nila di na nila alam gumalaw ng nasa tama, sanay na talaga sa kilos kawatan.

**Monseratto** · January 26th, 2012 10:41 PM

November 2011 pa nahuli ng una. Pero nahuli ulit at ikinulong ng tuluyan nung bumalik itong Jan. 15. Kala ata na all is forgiven and forgotten with the Feds... Dapat di na bumalik.

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Lito Lapid said on Thursday that his wife had no malicious intentions with the money found by US airport officials in her luggage in Las Vegas International Airport.

Lapid said her wife Marissa needed it for the treatment of her heart condition.

“Medyo naharang siya doon dahil sobra ang dala niyang pera siguro dahil nagpapagamot siya dahil may sakit siya eh,” the senator said.

**ghosthunter** · January 26th, 2012 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by yebo

saka engot din, pwede naman i-declare yun. need mo lang naman ng proof na sa legit galing, e for sure may business naman sila na naka-register like yung sa pag-produce ng films ni ma guerero. isa pa bakit need ng cash pwede naman money transfer bank-to-bank, i-certify naman ng bank sa pinas na legit money yun. kahit naman saan pa galing yun pag pinadaan mo sa philippine bank lusot na, di ka naman i-refuse ng bank at after sila sa fee na ibabayad mo. may uncle ako nag-benta ng property sa pinas nag-bank-to-bank transfer lang $250k, bayad ng money transfer fees walang problema. mababawasan oo, pero no hassle naman.

hirap lang nga sa dami ng kurakot nila di na nila alam gumalaw ng nasa tama, sanay na talaga sa kilos kawatan.

Don't we also have a limit how much money you can carry out of the country? How did she get through the Philippine airport without getting caught? .... hay nakuh! ... will more airport official heads roll for this?

**CVT** · January 27th, 2012 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by yebo

hirap lang nga sa dami ng kurakot nila di na nila alam gumalaw ng nasa tama, sanay na talaga sa kilos kawatan.

E,- mga utak biya ang mga gungg*ng na iyan....

Tapos,- kung umasta akala mo kung sinong magagaling, e naaapakan mo ang IQ nila....

Pero, mabuti na lang at kaladkad nila ang kanilang IQ,- para nahuhuli... :hysterical:

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