| $1 Million Cash Seizure Sets Record for Beaumont Police | ||
| Reported by News Department January 22, 2003 - 7:25PM
|
||
|
Posted on 01/22/2003 9:48:24 PM PST by deport
$1 Million Cash Seizure Sets Record for Beaumont Police Reported by News Department January 22, 2003 - 7:25PM
It is the largest seizure of money in the history of the Beaumont Police Department.
KFDM News has learned officers with the Beaumont Narcotics Unit seized more than $1 million in cash after stopping a driver on Interstate Ten.
It happened on Monday, January 13th, and Wednesday night, law enforcement officers allowed KFDM News to release certain details about the staggering amount of cash found in a vehicle.
Investigators have waited until now, to allow federal agents with the DEA to question the driver and passenger, and learn more about their destination, what kind of drugs they were planning to buy, and from whom they were planning to buy the drugs.
This case is an example of why there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop.
Investigators who don't want their names used in this story, tell KFDM News they began following a vehicle inside the city limits of Beaumont January 13th. They stopped the driver on I-10 West, just outside the city limits.
The men gave consent to search, and Beaumont narcotics officers found more than $1 million in two large duffle bags hidden inside the vehicle. Federal investigators detained the driver and passenger for questioning.
It is the largest seizure of cash in the history of the city, and the Beaumont Police Department. Investigators say local agencies generally get about 80 percent of the money from seizures, which could mean $800,000 for various law enforcement agencies in Beaumont. The feds could get 20 percent, or about $200,000. Four days before the big seizure, Jefferson County officers stopped a driver, and found about 40 thousand ecstasy tablets as well as $300,000 cash.
Investigators say in general, when they find something on drivers, it's cash on people traveling west to Houston, and drugs on people traveling east, away from Houston. Narcotics officers say any amount of money they can get from a seizure of cash is very important during a time when the City of Beaumont is trying to erase a budget deficit. Officers say they're combining operations and doing everything possible to take drugs and drug money off the streets, and do it cost effectively.
|
|
|
 |
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
|
|
|
Investigators say in general, when they find something on drivers, it's cash on people traveling west to Houston, and drugs on people traveling east, away from Houston. Narcotics officers say any amount of money they can get from a seizure of cash is very important during a time when the City of Beaumont is trying to erase a budget deficit.
Yeah, it it is VERY likely the million was drug money, but I seemed to have missed the part about due process.
Flame away; but if the authorities can just "seize" a sum of money because they "think" it was drug related, it will only be a matter of time before they'll be taking much smaller sums from joe citizen.
I seem to recall several such cases over the past ten years where citizens were relieved of their cash while going about legitimate business; like buying a used vehicle for a landscape business ect. Some of these folks never got their money back.
i had a very good friend that went to buy a hot dog cart one day about four years ago and got pulled over for a rolling stop at a stop ssign and the cop saw the money roll in his glove compartment when he got the registration (about 5000 if irember right ) and of course the cop just assumed it was for drugs and he "siezed" read stole it and to this day the guy didnt get any of his money back or will he and we have the good ole fashion small goverment republicans to blame every bit as much as the soviet liberals
It happened on Monday, January 13th, and Wednesday night, law enforcement officers allowed KFDM News to release certain details about the staggering amount of cash found in a vehicle.
Investigators have waited until now, to allow federal agents with the DEA to question the driver and passenger, and learn more about their destination, what kind of drugs they were planning to buy, and from whom they were planning to buy the drugs.
It took the local police and DEA a week to set up a fabrication and corroboration that would ensure that under the color of the law they could steal the million dollars. The DEA was more than willing to lend it's authority to ice the deal. After the DEA was officially brought into the picture and questioned the victims was it time for the Beaumont Police Department to tell the fabricated/misconstrued/deceptive story to KFDM News.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.