Hammer Aide Acquitted of Smuggling Cash

MINNEAPOLIS —  A federal jury on Friday acquitted Scott R. Deitrick, an administrator of the Armand Hammer Foundation in Los Angeles, of charges that he smuggled $60,000 in cash into the United States.

Deitrick, 38, had been returning home to Los Angeles from London in October when he was arrested at Twin Cities International Airport. Customs agents discovered he was carrying the undeclared currency, most of it in his cowboy boots. Agents said he was confronted because he looked nervous.

“I’m very pleased,” said Deitrick, who could have faced up to three years in prison if convicted. “It was a wonderful verdict.”

Deitrick was tried under a federal law that requires people entering the country to report cash they are carrying in excess of $10,000.

His attorney, Barry Voss, said Deitrick had the cash because he was considering buying a vintage Ferrari in London. The prosecution didn’t prove Deitrick intentionally failed to report the money, Voss maintained, and the jury agreed.

Deitrick said he looked forward to returning to the foundation. After his arrest, Michael Hammer, grandson of the late Dr. Armand Hammer, had posted bond to release Deitrick from jail.