BURIED LOOT... IT'S STILL A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD

[Michael P. Naughton]

Remember the Stanley Kramer classic: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World with Spencer Tracy and all those crazy motorist chasing the Smiler's money buried under the "Big W?" Well, it's still a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World... I came across a recent article by the Associated Press that read: Buried Loot, A Mystery for Authorities. The article centered around a suspect, Franz Felhaber, who strolled into the Treasury Department with $5.2 million stuffed into a briefcase -- technically speaking, I don't think you can fit $5.2 million into a briefcase let alone $1 million-- not that I've tried. So Franz tells authorities that the money came from Mexico... oh yes, and the bills are decomposing and hardly recognizable. Bills from the '70's and 80's. He requests a cashier's check. Sure thing. According to authorities, his family has been "popping" in and out of US banks for the past few years looking to change about $20 million in buried treasure. But where did the money come from? Tall tales abound. He has more excuses than CVS has pills... Although, he did not state that he found the money under a "Big W."
So as I read on, the name Jose Carrillo-Valles appeared. Carrillo is Felhaber's uncle. The name: Jose Carillo-Valles bugged me. I heard it somewhere before. It was bugging me like the name "Toby" bugged Joe Cabot in that opening scene of Reservoir Dogs and then it clicked. I pulled down a book from my personal library: The Laundrymen by Jeffery Robinson ( highly recommend!!!) Jose Carillo-Valles buried some loot in his basement and it was never found. Enter the fascinating world of money laundering.
I think Stanley Kramer would smile at this amusing story.