SEIZED: Men Fight To Get Cash Back From Law Enforcement

[Weedpipe]

Michael Coleman and Jacquard Merritt walked into the Montgomery Regional Airport with more than $120,000 tucked away in their carry-on bags and pockets. The men used cash to buy tickets for an overnight round-trip to San Antonio.

They were dressed casually and checked no luggage. But Coleman and Merritt never made their trip. Authorities, alleging connections to illegal drug activity, confiscated the cash under a federal law that allows law enforcement to seize money and file to assume custody through the civil court system. Coleman and Merritt were allowed to leave the airport and were not charged with any crime. But the money was not returned.

In such cases, there is no assumption that the claimants are innocent until proven guilty -- the burden of proof falls to the individual to prove the money was not connected to illegal activity.

The city of Montgomery has deposited about $1.5 million in seized money into a dedicated account during the past two fiscal years, said Lloyd Faulkner, the city's director of finance. The Drug Enforcement Administration did not have numbers for Alabama, but an organization critical of civil forfeitures reported $7 billion has been forfeited to the federal government since 1985.
Coleman and Merritt are still fighting to get back the cash taken from them in July 2006, but a federal appeals court has upheld previous rulings that the money could be seized.

Their attorney, Joe M. Reed, said he likely would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Reed, who is representing clients in five similar seizure cases, acknowledged the activities of some of the men could be viewed as suspicious, but he said the authorities have never connected his clients to illegal drug activity.
Not that it seems to matter.
"If you can't prove it's not dope money," Reed said, "you lose it."
Suspicious activities

Special Agent Roberto Bryan Jr. of the New Orleans Division of the DEA said, "No legitimate businessman travels with $120,000 in cash through the airport." The New Orleans division includes Alabama.



News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 Magazine
Source: Montgomery Advertiser
Author: Sebastian Kitchen
Contact: montgomeryadvertiser.com
Copyright: 2009
Website:SEIZED: Men fight to get cash back from law enforcement

 

[BWC BayArea]

Special Agent Roberto Bryan Jr. of the New Orleans Division of the DEA said, "No legitimate businessman travels with $120,000 in cash through the airport." The New Orleans division includes Alabama.

If they did, I'm sure u'd be the first one they'd call, "Special" Agent Bryan. What in the hell are the minimum education standards for federal agents? What happened to good old fashion common sense. Jewelers travel jewels often. Any1 traveling with cash isn't gonna announce it so or disclose their methods so how would this genius know. I wonder how many legit busts he has under his belt.

 

[Cherma]

"No legitimate businessman travels with $120,000 in cash through the airport." The New Orleans division includes Alabama.

It is wise to call BS on this, as many times going to Vegas and carrying over 100K, no officer has questioned otherwise, usually though a line of secured credit will do and is customary. Now, why in the heck these 2 didn't they travel by auto.. I think Ego got in their way.
There are many still fighting their return of CASH from these idiots.. Been there doing that!!! The payoffs & the ripoffs nobody wants to see.

 

[MichaelAngelo]

The city of Montgomery has deposited about $1.5 million in seized money into a dedicated account during the past two fiscal years- this is one city in one state, not DEA

It is amazing how much money the government collects annually from so called drug seizures yet they clam they are broke???

It goes to show, be prepared with a reason for carrying large amounts of cash
such as purchasing a car or a boat or expensive machinery like a used tractor or a kidney machine.
purchasing a car or truck with cash is much cheaper than on credit and I don't trust banks, I don't trust Identity fraud so I refuse to keep my money in the bank and I buy things a lot cheaper with cash because many people find that banks are a pain in the ass when it comes to large amounts of cash, mostly taking it out.

News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 Magazine
Source: Montgomery Advertiser
Author: Sebastian Kitchen
Contact: montgomeryadvertiser.com
Copyright: 2009
Website:SEIZED: Men fight to get cash back from law enforcement [/QUOTE]

 

[sicntired]

This is going on everywhere and the people in law enforcement are loving it to death.We(Canadians)have seen property valued at over 15 million seized because of a grow op.The property owners have to prove that either they had no knowledge or that the property was purchased with legally earned money.Even if the latter can be shown authorities will claim knowledge and take the property and demand proof that the owner had no knowledge and just how can you prove that?Cops are interviewed gloating about how nice it'll be using a seized high end auto in buy bust operations.They have seized jet skis,all terrain vehicles,homes,a ranch with acreage,anything in the possession of anyone arrested for a drug crime.If these people shot someone in the head they would go to prison and their family would inherit the property but get arrested for a drug crime and you lose everything.This is drug war mentality run amok.With the recent bank collapse can anyone wonder at people not putting their money in a bank?This alone should be a reason for having cash on your person.I have seen people withdrawing brief cases full of cash to go gambling at a casino.These laws are written with law enforcement in mind and ignore the basic right to do what you want with your own money.They were written during the height of the drug war when the police mentality ruled the day.It's double jeopardy at the very least.Fear of gangs and cartels has twisted our system of justice into something that allows the confiscation of everything a person owns with no proof of criminal activity.How is this allowed in a so called free country?

 

[BWC BayArea]

The Canadian gov told u guys that u were free too? LOL, guess its just part of the mind fuck.

 

[rollersmoker]

Cash is freedom which the system is totally against..so someone carrying that much cash is expressing their desire to be free to move about without carrying plastic bank cards which puts a limit on your freedom. They'll probably call those guys terrorists or something.

 

[sicntired]

The 10,000 limit on cash withdrawals or deposits was introduced specifically by the DEA to aid in the fight against Colombian cartels.They probably do claim to use it as an aid in the war on terror but the real war on terror,the drug war,is the basis for restricting the amount of cash a person can carry.It's just another of our freedoms that have been ceded to a fascist government bent on destroying anyone that thinks differently from themselves.