"did not appear to be related to terrorism"

Houstonians stopped with $500,000 in Pa.

Byline: Anne Marie Kilday

Apr. 20--Pennsylvania authorities have confiscated a half million dollars they found in the cab of a truck driven by two Houston men who tried to enter a nuclear power plant. The men have not been charged with any crime. Pennsylvania State Police seized the money because the men denied ownership and because there was an indication by a police dog that drug residue was possibly on the cash. The men were outside the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station in Shippingport, Pa., Tuesday afternoon to pick up a large tool container. The plant, one of the nation's first large nuclear generating facilities, is undergoing a $300 million upgrade. When plant security guards discovered the pair had a duffel bag containing $504,230 in 10 large bundles of bills wrapped in plastic and duct tape, they contacted local and state police.

According to the Beaver County Times, the men were stopped at a security entrance to the plant, which is routine. Security guards conducted a routine search of the truck and found the duffel bag in the sleeper portion of the rig. The bag was locked, but when plant security guards asked one of the Houston men to unlock the bag, he said he did not have a key. A guard then cut the lock off and discovered the cash -- in $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. The men called their boss for instructions. Their boss told them to leave the power plant.

According to Pennsylvania State Trooper Joshua Thomas, the men were stopped by Shippingport police about a mile south of the plant. Because the incident started at a nuclear plant, members of a joint terrorism task force composed of state police and the FBI also were called in. William Crowley , a spokesman for the Pittsburgh office of the FBI, said Wednesday, "We have no indication that there was ever any terrorism or threat to the plant." The newspaper also reported that a state police dog detected the scent of drugs in the truck. State police then obtained a search warrant, but found no drugs or other illegal items. anne.kilday@chron.com

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