Farruko accused of hiding $52K in his shoes, luggage

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rican singer Farruko was accused on Wednesday of hiding nearly $52,000 in undeclared cash in his luggage and his shoes when he arrived in the U.S. territory via helicopter from a trip to the Dominican Republic.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the singer, whose name is Carlos Efren Reyes, was arrested on charges of failing to declare transportation of monetary instruments in excess of $10,000 and bulk cash smuggling into the United States.

Farruko was initially detained on Monday at the Isla Grande airport when agents searched his bags and found the money after he declared he was not carrying more than $10,000, said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez. Then a judge on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant, and he was detained that evening at his parents’ house in the northern city of Bayamon, Ivan Ortiz, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, told The Associated Press.

Farruko was being held without bond and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon. If found guilty, he could face a maximum fine of $250,000 or up to five years in prison, or both.