Paying $20,000 in cash to charter a plane from California from Nashville raised red flags, and the nostrils of a drug-detecting dog got a man arrested for suspected money laundering after police found him carrying $153,000 in narcotics-tainted cash.
Police arrested Connor Guckian, 33, Monday at the Nashville airport after he chartered the private plane and a K-9 unit trained in drug detection sensed the drug-tainted loot in his carry-on luggage bag. Police detained the man and had another drug-detection dog check the bundles of cash within, and that dog also detected trace amounts of narcotics. Guckian had agreed to the second search, which also did not go in his favor.
After he paid $20,000 in cash to charter the plane, airport personnel alerted police to the suspicious activity. Police then awaited Guckian's arrival at the chartered aircraft and found him carrying 32 cash bundles. The bills were bundled with rubber bands instead of traditional paper bands as would be the case when withdrawn from a bank.
Police say that cash bundled with rubber bands is typical of drug money and said Guckian likely was attempting to launder the cash.
"The manner in which the U.S. currency was wrapped is consistent with that of drug proceeds," Reuters reports the arrest affidavit states.
Guckian claimed he was visiting a friend in Nashville and was chartering the private plane to save money. He later changed his story, saying charter flights are cheaper in Nashville. The cash was intended to purchase gold in California, he said.
Police did not agree with his story and placed him under arrest on suspicion of laundering drug money. Guckian remained under arrest on Tuesday after failing to post a $10,000 bond.
Guckian reportedly told police he has several bank accounts containing less than $10,000 in each to prevent detection by the federal government and had been arrested for cocaine possession with intent to sell in New York.
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