Speed violation nets over $279,000 in cash

By KOMO Staff

Summary

Troopers say a man pulled over for speeding along I-5 near Northgate was found to have two suitcases full of cash.

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Story Published: Sep 25, 2007 at 3:09 PM PST

Story Updated: Sep 25, 2007 at 3:09 PM PST

Speed violation nets over $279,000 in cash
SEATTLE - A Washington State Patrol trooper collected a record amount of cash for a speeding violation last weekend.

Trooper Jeff Merrill says a trooper pulled over a Honda on I-5 near Northgate that was clocked going 71 mph.

The driver, a 35-year-old man from Delta, B.C., produced a valid driver's license. But when asked several routine questions, the driver gave conflicting stories about where he was going and how long he had been in the state.

Merrill says the driver consented to a search of his car. In the trunk, the trooper located two suit cases. One suitcase was found to contain $279,640 in U.S. currency. The driver, claiming to have won the money at 23 different casinos in Nevada, California and Washington stated he did not keep any of the receipts to verify the source of the income.

The money was confiscated for further investigation.