Met. Valentine's Arrest for the Federal Crime of Smuggling

[Archimandrite Michael]

By the way, where is it stated that carrying money OUT of the USA is considered to be "smuggling"? I leave and enter the USA several times per year and have never been asked if I am smuggling or taking money out. One is asked if he or she is carrying more than $10,000 US in to the US, but I have never been asked how much I was carrying out; even when going to Cuba which I can do officially. If one is carrying more than $10,000 in he or she must declare it, but to declare that one has more than $10,000 is not an offense or a "federal crime" or anything bad! If one has more than $10,000 the authorities merely want to know where you got it so as to curb money-laundering. If one has more than $10,000 and does not declare it when entering, that is an offense.

The US Federal Authorities would not have been interested in how much money Metropolitan Valentin was taking out of the US; they don't even ask. It was obviously a "set-up" for the poor Metropolitan..."set-up" by those trying to cause a problem....the same "thoses" that are continuing to perpetuate the lies.

Call the Customs authorities yourself and ask; I did.

Archimandrite Michael

[scyldscefing]

OOD

thoses arrests are all publicized by the customs agency
when convictions were made, aka press releases, also when the agency
wants to "brag" about seizures and such. But to get
arrest info on a particular person, as I was told it's not
possible, other that having a court order, federal involvement
etc etc, and notice these results from searching
"arrests", none of them are giving names and police
reports of the people involved, I DID find the name of a dog
involved in one smuggling case

[bogoliubtsy]

By the way, where is it stated that carrying money OUT of the USA is considered to be "smuggling"? I leave and enter the USA several times per year and have never been asked if I am smuggling or taking money out. One is asked if he or she is carrying more than $10,000 US in to the US, but I have never been asked how much I was carrying out; even when going to Cuba which I can do officially. If one is carrying more than $10,000 in he or she must declare it, but to declare that one has more than $10,000 is not an offense or a "federal crime" or anything bad! If one has more than $10,000 the authorities merely want to know where you got it so as to curb money-laundering. If one has more than $10,000 and does not declare it when entering, that is an offense.

The US Federal Authorities would not have been interested in how much money Metropolitan Valentin was taking out of the US; they don't even ask. It was obviously a "set-up" for the poor Metropolitan..."set-up" by those trying to cause a problem....the same "thoses" that are continuing to perpetuate the lies.

Call the Customs authorities yourself and ask; I did.

Archimandrite Michael

Good point.
When I left for Russia 2 months ago, flying from JFK, I was never asked how much money I was carrying out with me...nor was I asked last August when flying to Russia from Boston. The amount of money you're carrying into Russia is solely a concern for Russian customs.

[scyldscefing]

I know from living with protestant "missionaries" in mexico that large sums of money taken across the border, larger than $10,000, had to be claimed and you pay some sort of tax, otherwise it IS considered smuggling, because drug dealers do it all the time to buy bricks of cocaine and such. BTW at an AIRPORT a foreigner wearing a robe and a beard it prime search material for customs agents.

[scyldscefing]

this is from the customs site and a press release
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/pre ... 132003.xml

It is not againt the law to transport more than $10,000, but it is a federal requirement to report if you are acrrying currency or monetary instruments in excess of $10,000 to a Customs and Border Protection Inspector upon entry or exit from the United States. Failure to declare currency in excess of $10,000 can result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.

"or exit" <--- NOTE it for future reference

though I think it's a non-issue because it's non a un-canonical
act, and it's understandable to grow up in the U.S.S.R. and to mistrust authorities, do some illegal things, sometimes in communist countries you had to do illegal things to survive...
but some fellows in the AROC are making it an issue by saying
that the accusation is a flat out lie. If bishop Gregory's homies (homies not homilies) could produce evidence they would have caught some people in lying.. rather if Arbp. Valentine produces evidence of his non arrest, then it will be very bad for his grace gregory.. it's all an issue of evidence[/quote]

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Carrying over $10,000 dollars out of the country is not necessarily a sin. What is a sin is stealing goods and property from your former monastery.

[尼古拉前执事]

How does one prove a non-event? It is up to the accusers to come up with proof of a claim, debate 101. I have never been arrested, but I do not know how I could prove that without spending a large amount of money to clear my good name!