CHARLOTTE — Court documents say law enforcement found $45,000 in drug money that a traveler was carrying at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The traveler said that’s not the case. When questioned by law enforcement, the man had a wide range of claims for why he was carrying so much cash at the airport, feds said the man offered up “everything but the kitchen sink.” His explanations ranged from being a party promoter for the rapper Polo G to selling French bulldogs and pit bulls, documents show.
Feds claim a drug-sniffing dog picked up on its scent in a checked bag in April last year at the airport. The destination was Los Angeles. The feds believe the money was derived from or was intended to be used in drug trafficking.
When questioned by police, the man -- who has not been charged with a crime -- claimed he worked as a party promoter for the rapper Polo G, but was unable to provide a name of his business or its registration.
Court documents say he then claimed to sell French bulldogs and pit bulls, but later admitted that wasn’t true. According to those documents, he also claimed to have earned the money from playing football at California University of Pennsylvania, from winning a $50 sports bet on FanDuel, from family, and from pandemic unemployment assistance.
The cash found was nearly $16,000 in a canvas bag, $19,000 in a black hoodie and $10,000 in a black bag.
The federal government is trying to have the cash forfeited, the documents say.
Security expert Walter Kimble said drug trafficking wouldn’t be unusual.
“They are common, especially with the proliferation of traffic we are having at Charlotte Douglas,” Kimble said.
Investigators said they looked at his Cash App history and found 1,400 transactions between May 2021 and May 2022, with some having references to drugs. They also said he took 35 flights between the East Coast and California over two years, with many of those tickets getting bought last minute.
Right now no criminal charges have been filed, but Kimble said the investigation is likely ongoing.
“I think it is premature to say whether there will be charges or just the forfeiture,” Kimble said.
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