Man deposits millions, one tattered bill at a time (and gets arrested)

[lorelei]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/28/buried.millions.ap/index.html
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The businessman arrived at the Treasury Department carrying a suitcase stuffed with about $5.2 million in petrified, nearly unrecognizable bills. He asked to swap it for a cashier's check.
<!--startclickprintexclude--><!-- PURGE: /2008/CRIME/07/28/buried.millions.ap/art.damaged.money.ap.jpg --><!-- KEEP --><!----><!--===========IMAGE============--><!--===========/IMAGE===========--><!--===========CAPTION==========-->The money brought in by Franz Felhaber was nearly unrecognizable, like the water damaged money here.
<!-- /PURGE: /2008/CRIME/07/28/buried.millions.ap/art.damaged.money.ap.jpg --><!--endclickprintexclude-->Money like this normally arrives after a bank burns or a vault floods. It doesn't just show up at the visitor's entrance on a Tuesday morning.
But Franz Felhaber's banking habits had stopped making sense to the government long ago.


This story is really strange, and a little confusing. But apparently over the years Mr Felhaber and his family have been trying to turn in portions of this damaged money for clean bills- apparently they may have as much as 20 million stashed away somewhere. Nobody knows where they got it, or where it came from. First it was 'inheritance' money, then found with a 'treasure map'??? I think he has no story now, he's stopped talking.


I wish I could find $20 million with a treasure map- anyone want to draw me one (w/real money at the end please)?

 

[jantel74]

That's a bizarre story for sure. I'm thinking I could have shined that money up like new. If he really did dig up drug money from a mexican desert, I wouldn't want my name associated with that. Yikes!

 

[Class-z]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/28/buried.millions.ap/index.html
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The businessman arrived at the Treasury Department carrying a suitcase stuffed with about $5.2 million in petrified, nearly unrecognizable bills. He asked to swap it for a cashier's check.
<!--startclickprintexclude--><!-- PURGE: /2008/CRIME/07/28/buried.millions.ap/art.damaged.money.ap.jpg --><!-- KEEP --><!----><!--===========IMAGE============--><!--===========/IMAGE===========--><!--===========CAPTION==========-->The money brought in by Franz Felhaber was nearly unrecognizable, like the water damaged money here.
<!-- /PURGE: /2008/CRIME/07/28/buried.millions.ap/art.damaged.money.ap.jpg --><!--endclickprintexclude-->Money like this normally arrives after a bank burns or a vault floods. It doesn't just show up at the visitor's entrance on a Tuesday morning.
But Franz Felhaber's banking habits had stopped making sense to the government long ago.


This story is really strange, and a little confusing. But apparently over the years Mr Felhaber and his family have been trying to turn in portions of this damaged money for clean bills- apparently they may have as much as 20 million stashed away somewhere. Nobody knows where they got it, or where it came from. First it was 'inheritance' money, then found with a 'treasure map'??? I think he has no story now, he's stopped talking.


I wish I could find $20 million with a treasure map- anyone want to draw me one (w/real money at the end please)?

If they cant' track the serial numbers to anything missing or stolen then how can they arrest him?

 

[lorelei]

If they cant' track the serial numbers to anything missing or stolen then how can they arrest him?

Apparently he's been bringing the money into the US from Mexico, also I think he had a relative or friend bring money in over the border too. You need to do some sort of paperwork if you carry money is over a certain amount across the US border and they didn't do that. Right now I think he is being charged only with crimes related to illegally importing the money or something along those lines.

I agree Jantel- somebody is probably missing that money and if I were Mr Felhaber/his family I think I'd be pretty nervous now that the story is out!

 

[coltsgal]

If they cant' track the serial numbers to anything missing or stolen then how can they arrest him?

exactly! finders keepers!

 

[CASuzk]

Money laundering for idiots; "What do you mean you put the money in the washing machine?"