Smuggling More Than $49K On Plane Gets Riverview Man Prison Time

ORLANDO, FL ? A Riverview man received his prison sentence Monday after he plead guilty for smuggling $49,519 in two magazines he took on a plane with him at Orlando International Airport November 23, 2020, according to the State Attorney's Office.

Kadeem Jamal Roman, 23, brought a clear plastic, vacuum-sealed bag with him to the plane he boarded Nov. 3. U.S. Customs and Border Protection searched a checked bag of Roman's and saw the bag had marijuana in it, the State Attorney said. Afterward, the officers went to the jet bridge to question Roman, who was already onboard a flight destined to Montego Bay, Jamaica. He left his carry-on bag in the plane when officials asked him to leave the plane with all of his items. Agents had him go back on the plane in their presence, and get his bag.

Roman told authorities he was traveling with approximately $9,000 in U.S. currency and provided a written declaration declaring $8,000 to $9,000 in U.S. currency. Following the verification by the officers that he did have $9,519, they conducted a more thorough examination of of his bag, according to officials. Inside the bag, agents found two magazines that had some unusually thick and stiff pages that were glued together, investigators said.

Carbon paper that held eight bundles of $2,500, totaling $40,000, was found in the magazines when the pages were opened. In total, agents seized $49,519 in cash from Roman.

?HSI (Homeland Security Investigation) special agents, along with U.S Customs and Border Protection Officers, remain committed to combating currency smuggling, illicit value transfer and cross-border crimes that seek to undermine our financial systems,? HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti said.

Roman has been sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for bulk cash smuggling. The court ordered Roman to forfeit $49,519, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense, according to detectives. He pleaded guilty May 24, 2021.