FYI, it is now illegal to carry American cash.

[Forever_frost]

I can see how people get frustrated with this board. I have said multiple times in this thread that I would not seize money unless there was another crime involved. I further stated that I don't see how other LEOs are seizing money with nothing else to go on other than the large some of cash. Passion for what you believe in is great. Blind passion, not so much.

You're saying we have to prove we legally possess the cash in order to get it back from the Gestapo and we're saying they should have to prove we have it illegally. You're looking at it from the cop point of view that we shouldn't have that kind of cash and if we do, we obviously have committed a crime and we should have no problem with proving we have it legally.

If you pulled someone over, as was done in the story, for speeding and find 50k in the car, are you going to seize it?

[Sean88gt]

This pisses me off more than anything I have ever heard of.

So if my grandmother leaves $125k cash to me as an inheritance, I'm a criminal for having it in the car with me... or for depositing it in a lump sum... or for breaking up deposits so as not to arouse suspicion. Any of these actions can lead to my legally-attained cash being stolen from me and I have to come up with PROOF that I have a legal right to possess it?

Pay stubs? WTF. Remind me what country we live in and what expectations of freedom we should have.

I think the LEOs here need to take a step back and look at the policies they enforce. This is real, honest, jack-booted-thug bullshit.

We don't live in the country we grew up in, that is for damn sure.

[stevo]

Generally a pay stub/work history would go a long way. Again I am speaking about seizures based on narcotics being found. I totally agree about being pissed if you are buying a car or some other type of legitimate business deal. But I am going to say that it is few and far between that it happens that way. And before you say one time is too many, I completely agree.

Did you read post #14?

140 cases of it happening between 2006 and 2008 in a single town in east Texas

Stevo

[JamisonFRC]

I can see how people get frustrated with this board. I have said multiple times in this thread that I would not seize money unless there was another crime involved. I further stated that I don't see how other LEOs are seizing money with nothing else to go on other than the large some of cash. Passion for what you believe in is great. Blind passion, not so much.

[46Tbird]

This pisses me off more than anything I have ever heard of.

So if my grandmother leaves $125k cash to me as an inheritance, I'm a criminal for having it in the car with me... or for depositing it in a lump sum... or for breaking up deposits so as not to arouse suspicion. Any of these actions can lead to my legally-attained cash being stolen from me and I have to come up with PROOF that I have a legal right to possess it?

Pay stubs? WTF. Remind me what country we live in and what expectations of freedom we should have.

I think the LEOs here need to take a step back and look at the policies they enforce. This is real, honest, jack-booted-thug bullshit.

[DamonH]

Hmmm ... so you can't carry too much money around, and you can't deposit less then $10,000 too frequently or they will just take it. Interesting.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/15/raw-milk-farmers-on-money-laundering-crimes.aspx

Story at-a-glance

The U.S. government has seized $70,000 from a small dairy farmer in Maryland because they made bank deposits in increments that were less than $10,000; the feds accused the farmer of “structuring,” or violating the Bank Secrecy Act by intentionally depositing smaller amounts so they would not have to fill out the paperwork required of larger deposits

The raid on the farmer was conducted by an agency created in 2009 to go after money-laundering criminals; the agency started out with a bang by seizing $1.2 billion from a real money launderer, but it appears that what it’s interested in now is making criminals out of small business persons, including small farmers

Another small family farm in rural Michigan—and possibly others—may be shut down by a new state law that designates certain breeds of hogs as “feral,” and labels them a threat to neighboring hog breeders and croplands

Your ability, your right, to purchase and consume pure, unadulterated food grown by small independent farms continues to be threated if you live in the United States; support your local small farmers as much as possible whenever you buy your food

[Broncojohnny]

The fact that this is even up for debate disgusts me.

Human nature never changes and history doesn't really repeat itself but it has an interesting rhyme to it.

[JamisonFRC]

Right, so how would you prove it's yours? Say I don't trust banks and just have it in a lockbox and decide to go buy something. Why is it on the citizen to prove their innocence? Kind of like me calling a cop a pedophile and leaving it up to him to prove he's not.

How do you prove otherwise?

Generally a pay stub/work history would go a long way. Again I am speaking about seizures based on narcotics being found. I totally agree about being pissed if you are buying a car or some other type of legitimate business deal. But I am going to say that it is few and far between that it happens that way. And before you say one time is too many, I completely agree.

[majorownage]

Drug laws are a bitch. This is why I don't like stopping for cops. These idiots can plant drugs, make their dogs false alert, and jail you. This has happened so many times it's sickening.

In be4 "stop breaking the law asshole!"

Unjust laws are null and void, and I won't submit to them.

[Forever_frost]

The fact that this is even up for debate disgusts me.

You and me both. Cops should be held to a higher standard. You take my money under the color of law enforcement and don't charge me but don't return my property? I should be able to shoot you until I'm satisfied that I have my money's worth

[Denny]

The fact that this is even up for debate disgusts me.

[Forever_frost]

I know that our department will not sign off on seizing money from a random traffic stop unless dope is found. And even then, CCH as well as other factors come in to play. I am not defending the actions of the officers in the OP. But like I said there is an avenue to get the money back. Most of the time people don't show up to the seizure hearing because they can't prove the money is legit.

Right, so how would you prove it's yours? Say I don't trust banks and just have it in a lockbox and decide to go buy something. Why is it on the citizen to prove their innocence? Kind of like me calling a cop a pedophile and leaving it up to him to prove he's not.

How do you prove otherwise?

[stevo]

I know that our department will not sign off on seizing money from a random traffic stop unless dope is found. And even then, CCH as well as other factors come in to play. I am not defending the actions of the officers in the OP. But like I said there is an avenue to get the money back. Most of the time people don't show up to the seizure hearing because they can't prove the money is legit.

Guilty until you prove your innocence, fucking typical.

Stevo

[JamisonFRC]

You should be asking someone who knows because it sounds like your "interdiction guys" are going to get you into trouble.

I am no longer in a patrol capacity, so if I am seizing anything it likely will not be money. Maybe blood, hair or saliva but not money.

I am just trying to pass on information. I will let you guys know what I find out.

[Broncojohnny]

I have heard, but can't prove at this point, that anything over $10k is considered "contraband". I will ask some of our interdiction guys to clarify.

You should be asking someone who knows because it sounds like your "interdiction guys" are going to get you into trouble.