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Igel

(35,191 posts)
34. Back in the '80s I worked for a small non-profit.
Sat May 30, 2015, 12:59 PM
May 2015

It had a rainy day fund. A large one, since it wasn't just a really small non-profit.

Bosses wanted to set up a Swiss investment account. Taxes, obviously, weren't the issue. We paid no income tax or capital gains tax.

They told me to withdraw something like $30k and wire it overseas. Then they countermanded this. "That'll look suspicious"--they knew about the law that had been on the books for many years--"Instead, every Monday for the next three weeks withdraw $10k and wire it."

Sure. That certainly looked a lot less suspicious.

One point that has to be made is this: The Patriot Act is far, far less than it appears. While we like to point to all of its horrible provisions, one thing that the PA did was amalgamate all kinds of bits and pieces of pre-existing laws into one omnibus statute. Most of the Patriot Act pre-existed the Patriot Act. Parts were modified and parts added. Much was just taken as it already was. It's like saying everything in a Walmart is somehow "Walmart": In fact, while some things are made by and specifically for Walmart, some things are already on the market and are just modified for Walmart, but most things in a Walmart can be bought at any number of stores with no difference.

It's easier to ignore this, because then we have a neat (R) to blame right at hand without doing any additional work or thinking. Another motivation is that the real culprits in many instances are previous congresses and presidents, sometimes (D), and that's just icky.

Currency Transaction Reports have been around a lot longer than Laura PourMeADrink May 2015 #1
And $10,000 was a lot more back then. MH1 May 2015 #17
That is true! DawgHouse May 2015 #61
One less thing to be annoyingly tested on every year. arcane1 May 2015 #51
Ah, so you are pro-money laundering. And this has been true for longer than the Patriot Act. KittyWampus May 2015 #2
Pro money laundering Jesus Malverde May 2015 #21
Are you really a defense attorney? Thinkingabout May 2015 #3
Read the USA Patriot Act, just for fun. DefenseLawyer May 2015 #12
How about reading when bt he Patriot was passed. The rule of reporting transactions over Thinkingabout May 2015 #33
So I recently redid my kitchen yeoman6987 May 2015 #56
You don't have to report it, the banking industry does it for you. Thinkingabout May 2015 #58
Thank you. yeoman6987 May 2015 #62
Only applies to cash not checks MichMan May 2015 #67
This message was self-deleted by its author tammywammy May 2015 #71
Yet another legacy of the "War on Drugs" CanonRay May 2015 #4
Yes, but maybe you think its a good thing when Historic NY May 2015 #9
All we have to do is end the disastrous and phony Drug War and we will get back our rights that sabrina 1 May 2015 #31
Supply and demand, cut off the demand and the supply withers. Historic NY May 2015 #32
A guy I know owned a nightclub in Miami in the late 70d, early 80s. AngryAmish May 2015 #36
+++ I agree nt newfie11 May 2015 #5
It wasn't the Patriot Act that mandated reporting large cash withdrawals. The Velveteen Ocelot May 2015 #6
Speaking of tax evasion.. IphengeniaBlumgarten May 2015 #15
It wasn't a gift jberryhill May 2015 #27
They also have to report putting more than 10K into a bank treestar May 2015 #7
10K in 1970 is the equivalent of about 60K now Gormy Cuss May 2015 #16
It isn't. It is a crime to use your money for criminal acts. on point May 2015 #8
No, "structuring" is a crime that doesn't in any way require that money is used for a "criminal act" DefenseLawyer May 2015 #40
When queried as to what you did with the money, tell them. End of story if legit on point May 2015 #42
Not necessarily strategery blunder May 2015 #45
not structuring MichMan May 2015 #50
You would be wrong. NutmegYankee May 2015 #52
It shouldn't be considered structuring, because the intent is not to evade reporting. strategery blunder May 2015 #55
I don't want the government snooping around my bank records... DemocratSinceBirth May 2015 #10
Just a couple is enough MichMan May 2015 #13
I once need $400.00 cash on a weekend and the grocery store was closer to the ATM DemocratSinceBirth May 2015 #14
Card got shut off? n/t Wilms May 2015 #28
Precisely. I had to call the Fraud Department to get the freeze removed. DemocratSinceBirth May 2015 #29
All I had to do was try to pay for dinner while out of town. Wilms May 2015 #30
your bank got suspicious and shut off the card? Liberal_in_LA May 2015 #57
Most stores offer cash back, but up to $50.. SoCalDem May 2015 #66
People are funny sometimes MichMan May 2015 #11
Why should a report be files that I am depositing or taking out my money??? I would be pissed if Pisces May 2015 #19
Been the law for decades MichMan May 2015 #22
Money laundering, it is a crime. Thinkingabout May 2015 #59
If I sell some jewelry and furniture in my house and go deposit 11k in my account. I don't think I Pisces May 2015 #60
Meh. peecoolyour May 2015 #18
This is why there isn't as much outcry. I'll bet it would be just as easy to track anomalies within Pisces May 2015 #20
If you were at a bank and a man was depositing his $1,000.00 pay check every week DemocratSinceBirth May 2015 #24
Your hypothetical isn't suspicious because it's a check. Jim Lane May 2015 #37
I always wondered how folks launder their money... DemocratSinceBirth May 2015 #38
And where is the law that says it is a crime to take your money out of the bank? Citation please. Bluenorthwest May 2015 #23
Denny got hoisted by his own petard! yortsed snacilbuper May 2015 #25
It isn't a crime to take your own money out of the bank DFW May 2015 #26
Back in the '80s I worked for a small non-profit. Igel May 2015 #34
And a good accountant nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #35
Our credit union questioned our deposits EVERY TIME Holly_Hobby May 2015 #39
I don't understand this knee-jerk response of "Government is evil!" randome May 2015 #41
It isn't, and the Patriot Act has nothing to do with it frazzled May 2015 #43
Oh, how dis howwid and twadjick tale bwakes my widdle heart! struggle4progress May 2015 #44
Hey! Pederasts have rights, too! randome May 2015 #46
Agreed. NaturalHigh May 2015 #47
To a statistical slant on this; the Russian mob is nearly a $1 TRILLION empire, with about $200 Exilednight May 2015 #48
I agree completely. nt hifiguy May 2015 #49
I can only wish I had this problem, but alas, 'twas not to be. libdem4life May 2015 #53
It shouldn't be a crime to transport your own money in a wad of cash, either Warpy May 2015 #54
I didn't realize that you had to report withdrawals at all. DawgHouse May 2015 #63
I don't know that "you" do, but the bank does (nt) Recursion May 2015 #69
Ah, yes. They have their own reporting regulations. DawgHouse May 2015 #70
I agree.nt m-lekktor May 2015 #64
If you do not put it in the bank no one's the wiser SoCalDem May 2015 #65
And it's still not a crime, is it? (nt) Recursion May 2015 #68
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