Jason P. Wapiennik
Great Lakes Customs LawJason Wapiennik was in the field of Customs law even prior to his graduation from Ave Maria School of Law in 2008. From January 2007 until September 2009, he clerked for Edmund Maciorowski, P.C., a customs law firm and since leaving there, has been in private practice at Great Lakes Customs Law. Before attending law school, Jason began his undergraduate education at Purdue University and later transferred to Loyola University Chicago. At Loyola, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science graduating magna cum laude, and with departmental honors in political science. He is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society whose principles are scholarship, loyalty to Jesuit ideals, and service. His love for advocacy and writing led him to law school, where he attended Ave Maria School of Law located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As part of his education, Jason has lived in Rome during a prestigious study abroad program at Loyola’s John Felice Rome Center campus in Rome, Italy, where he also served as vice president of the International Relations club. During law school, Jason also took an opportunity to study at Krakow’s Jagiellonian University in Poland for the International Business & Trade Summer Law Program, which was made possible through a generous scholarship from the Kosciuszko Foundation. When he’s not practicing in his chosen fields of law, Jason enjoys spending time and traveling with his wife Joanna and their son Jacob.
- International Law
- Human Rights, Imports & Exports
- Customs & Trade Law
- Illinois
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- Michigan
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- English: Spoken, Written
- Principal/Attorney
- Great Lakes Customs Law
- - Current
- Great Lakes Customs Law is an experienced customs law firm providing importers with compliance advice, defense and mitigation of penalty and liquidated damage claims, tariff classification, valuation, and remission of seizures and forfeitures, especially cash seizures effected by U.S. Customs & Border Protection at airports and land border crossings.
- Clerk/Associate
- Edmund Maciorowski, P.C.
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- Customs Law
- Ave Maria School of Law
- J.D. (2008) | Law (Juris Doctorate)
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- Loyola University Chicago
- B.A. (2005) | Political Science
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- Honors: Magna Cum Laude, Departmental Honors
- Activities: Alpha Sigma Nu
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- Purdue University - Purdue University Calumet
- transferred | Political Science
- -
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- International Compliance Professionals Association
- Member
- Current
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What Happens After My Money is Seized by Customs
Money seizures by Customs (CBP) can be confusing. What do I do next, and what did I do wrong? When U.S. Customs (CBP) seizes money at an airport or border crossing, Customs should give you a Custody Receipt for Seized Property and Evidence, that has the FP&F case number. After the cash seizure, Customs will send a CAFRA notice of seizure. In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law explains what happens after you have had money seized by Customs.
Customs Penalty Process
Customs enforces its laws, in part, through penalties. If you've violated the customs laws or even had something seized by Customs, there's a fair chance that you are going to be receiving a notice of penalty or liquidated damages from Customs, demanding payment of some amount of money. In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law explains customs penalty process.
How to Properly Report Cash to Customs (FinCEN 105)
How do you properly report cash to Customs when you're leaving or arriving the country? Reporting the money will help you avoid having the cash seized by Customs. In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law explains the best ways to avoid any misunderstanding when you're reporting traveling with more than $10,000 cash.
The 3 Options to Get Your Money Back From Customs
If you have had money seized by U.S. Customs, there are a variety of procedures you can use to get your money back. Some are better than others and different situations call for the use of different procedures. In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law explains the different options in an easy-to-understand way and gives some examples of when one option might be better than another option.
What Are the Possible Penalties for a Money Seizure?
The possible penalties for a money seizure by U.S. Customs & Border Protection vary from a loss of the money, paying a penalty, all the way to jail time and steep fines. In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law explains the possible -- and likely -- penalties in these types of cases. Learn more about the currency seizure process using our money seizure legal guide from our website.
What Can I Expect When I Try to Get Money Back Myself
If you want to try to get your seized money back from Customs without an attorney, there are some things you might not be aware of that could be surprising, dangerous, or could seriously jeopardize your case (or your freedom!). In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law explains some of the negative experiences a person can have when trying to get money back without an experienced lawyer.
What is the Election of Proceedings Form
The election of proceedings form is a document sent with a notice of seizure from Customs. The election of proceeding forms explains (to some extent) and makes you choose a single option for handling your case going forward. In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law explains the election of proceedings form, and the meaning of the different options, in a way anyone can understand.
What Types of Proof do I Need for Getting my Money Back
In order to get money back after it is seized by Customs, you will need to credibly prove the money came from a legitimate source and that it had a legitimate intended use. The types of proof and documentation you may need to do this successfully will be different in every case, but there are some general guidelines that can be helpful. In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law talks about proving the source and intended use of the seized cash.
Why Was My Money Taken: Bulk Cash Smuggling (Violation 2)
Bulk cash smuggling is when money is hidden for the purpose of it not being found by Customs. Frequently, if money is hidden and not reported, Customs assumes that bulk cash smuggling has occurred. Bulk cash smuggling can mean a penalty of 50% or more of the amount seized, even if you are able to show the money came from a legitimate source and had a legitimate intended use.
Why Was My Money Taken: Failure to Report (Violation 1)
The U.S. government requires a report be filed when a person is transporting more than $10,000 when entering or leaving the United States. The report that must be filed can be done using form FinCEN 105, and then presented to the officer in charge of the port of entry/departure. Failure to properly reporting transporting into or out of the country with more than $10,000 can result in seizure of the cash or monetary instruments by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In this video, customs attor
Why Was My Money Taken: Structuring (Violation 3)
In international travel, a structuring violation occurs when less than $10,000 is transported for the purposes of not reporting the money to the U.S. Customs & Border Protection. If customs seizes money for a structuring violation, they can require a higher penalty starting at 50% of the amount seized if you cannot credibly show the money was not structured. In this video, customs attorney Jason P. Wapiennik of Great Lakes Customs Law explains the structuring law and more
