Immigration News

Canadian man sentenced in record $2.43 million cash smuggling

DETROIT - A Canadian man was sentenced yesterday for smuggling a record $2.43 million cash into the United States, the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Sasa Nikolic, 35, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and permanently barred from re-entering the United States by U.S. District Court Judge Denise Hood. The $2.43 million was forfeited in March 2005 and deposited into the U.S. Treasury Forfeiture Account.

Nikolic was apprehended in August 2004 after driving a tractor-trailer into the Fort Street Cargo Facility, where CBP officers stopped him for questioning and a routine inspection. During the inspection, CBP officers and ICE special agents discovered cash totaling $2.43 million - $2 million in the trailer and $430,000 in the truck's cab.

“This is the largest currency seizure ever made by CBP officers at the Port of Detroit's commercial cargo facility,” said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Michigan Director of Field Operations Gurdit Dhillon. “It shows that our multi-layered border enforcement strategy, using prescreening techniques and secondary inspectional tools, is working to stop any type of contraband - including illegal funds - from entering into the United States.”

“ICE routinely works with law enforcement agencies and other organizations to identify security vulnerabilities in our transportation system and shut them down,” said ICE Detroit Special Agent-in-Charge Brian M. Moskowitz. “The investigation into the origins and destination of the cash involved in this seizure will continue.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Marion, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan, prosecuted the case.

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	USCIS issues Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) EAD: This document proves you are allowed to work in the United States,Renewal EAD: You should apply for a renewal EAD six months before your original EAD expires,Replacement EAD: This document replaces a lost, stolen, or mutilated EAD. A replacement EAD also replaces an EAD that was issued with incorrect information, such as a misspelled name. Interim EAD: If USCIS does not approve or deny your EAD application within 90 days (within 30 days for an asylum applicant; note: asylum applicants are eligible to file for EADs only after waiting 150 days from the date they filed their properly completed original asylum applications), you may request an interim EAD document.