Disruptive passenger pulled off Amtrak train; had Canadian IDs, lots of cash
02:03 PM EDT Aug 19
ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) - Police confiscated thousands of dollars in cash and gold along with identification from the U.S., Mexico and Canada from a man police removed from an Amtrak train. Authorities said the man had exposed himself and rummaged through other passengers' luggage.
Conductors on a train from New York to Chicago notified police, who took the man into custody around 5 a.m. Wednesday at a station in this city , about 40 kilometres southwest of Cleveland.
The man refused to give his real name, wouldn't answer questions and requested a lawyer, according to police reports. Police found in his bags two Canadian passports, birth certificates and Social Security cards with different names, a Mexican identification card and medical records with different identities.
Once on a train, Amtrak passengers must produce identification that matches their ticket, said Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman.
Police also confiscated $1,900 in U.S. dollars, $5,900 in Canadian currency and a five-ounce gold bar.
Police conducted a fingerprint check with Canadian authorities and are awaiting a positive identification, said Sgt. Mike Behney.
The man will be held until federal authorities complete an investigation, Behney said.
© The Canadian Press, 2005
