"He’s now charged with acquiring proceeds from drug activity".
If he had just quietly given up the money, there would have been no charge. But he went to court to demand the money back, so they charged him.
He can now either accept a plea bargain which will involve him giving up the money, or go to trial, and wind up spending lots of money on lawyers, with the risk of going to jail.
Forfeiture needs to be abolished.
Nebraska just passed a law saying they had to convict you before they could take any property.