Visitor to Cuba will pay fine
Lawrence resident says travel penalty not worth challenging
Bob Augelli said he would like to fight the federal government, but it’s safer not to.
The Lawrence man who faced a $37,000 federal fine for violating the U.S. government’s travel ban to Cuba said Wednesday he would settle the case for a $2,500 fine rather than challenge the allegations before an administrative law judge.
“Taking it to trial has huge potential consequences,” Augelli said. “The fines they could’ve levied … the administrative law judge isn’t bound by any previous offers that were made. They can throw anything they want at you.”
He said a benefit dance might take place soon to help him raise the $2,500 for the fine and increase awareness of how the Cuba travel ban affects people.
In October, Augelli learned the government planned to pursue $37,000 in fines against him for four illegal trips he made to Cuba in 1998 and 1999. The trips inspired “Rosa Blanca,” a project with Lawrence landscape artist Stan Herd to create artwork in Havana as a gesture of goodwill in tribute to Cuban poet and patriot Jose Marti.
After a weeks-long communication breakdown that ended Feb. 13 with the demand of $10,100, the Treasury Department last month informed Augelli’s attorneys by telephone it was willing to negotiate again and cut the fine to $2,500 payable over a year’s time. The offer came hours after the Journal-World contacted White House officials to ask questions about Augelli’s case.
Augelli said he decided to accept the settlement after considering the expense of taking his case to trial — paying for food and lodging for his lawyers in Washington, D.C. — plus the possibility of a stiffer fine if he lost the case.
“You’re looking at something that could take years to resolve, with huge risks involved, with huge costs involved,” Augelli said. “We decided that, even though I believe I’m innocent, my attorneys believe I’m innocent, we thought my energies were better spent continuing the work of the Rosa Blanca project.”
Despite the settlement, Augelli said he continued to oppose the U.S. government’s ban on travel to Cuba.
“I absolutely believe,” he said, “we have a constitutional right to travel wherever we want.”
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