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[off duty ninja]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-charged-with-a-crime/?utm_term=.4b604eb43f8a

Since 2007, the report found, the DEA has seized more than $4 billion in cash from people suspected of involvement with the drug trade. But 81 percent of those seizures, totaling $3.2 billion, were conducted administratively, meaning no civil or criminal charges were brought against the owners of the cash and no judicial review of the seizures ever occurred.

That total does not include the dollar value of other seized assets, like cars, homes, electronics and clothing.

The scope of asset forfeiture is staggering. Since 2007 the Department of Justice's Asset Forfeiture Fund, which collects proceeds from seized cash and other property, has ballooned to $28 billion. In 2014 alone authorities seized $5 billion in cash and property from people -- greater than the value of all documented losses to burglary that year.

In most of the seizures examined by the Inspector General, DEA officers initiated encounters with people based on whether they met certain criteria, like "traveling to or from a known source city for drug trafficking, purchasing a ticket within 24 hours of travel, purchasing a ticket for a long flight with an immediate return, purchasing a one-way ticket, and traveling without checked luggage."

"Nobody in America should lose their property without being convicted of a crime," said the Institute for Justice's Sheth. "If our goal is to curb crime, we should simply abolish civil forfeiture" and only forfeit property after a criminal conviction is obtained, she added.

This is why Marijuana will remain federally illegal. The DEA stays in business by stealing from the citizens it is supposed to be protecting.

Seize me if old.

 

[ZOONAMI]

What do they do with the $ and assets?

 

[Barzul]

Yup this is something I'm hoping the Supreme Court or Congress via constitutional amendment will address in my lifetime. Civil forfeiture in the way it exists is broken and abused by law enforcement.

 

[Zeus Molecules]

What do they do with the $ and assets?

Auctions with the assets (aka laundering the money). I think they straight turn the cash into tax money

 

[Crayons]

This isn't even counting the money they take but don't report.

 

[Viewt]

If this sounds like gang behavior, that's because it is.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Self funding, smart!

 

[RinsFury]

The corruption at all levels of law enforcement in this country is astounding. Billions of dollars extorted from the populace, the Mafia can only dream of numbers like that.

 

[Brinbe]

Just another gang above the law.

 

[Ogodei]

I don't think you even need an amendment. The issue is that when you come out as opposed to civil asset forfeiture, you become anti-police, and also that many departments fund themselves off of this theft so the departments would either have to face cuts or hike taxes for the jurisdiction.

A big civil forfeiture case is heading towards the Supreme Court, isn't it?

 

[LegendofJoe]

Crooked cops with the right connections can become really wealthy. For all intents and purposes they are engaging in organized crime. The exact same situation occurred with provincial officials in the 17th and 18th centuries. They became rich looking the other way with regards to piracy.

 

[mil6es]

I'm surprised nobody has posted the John Oliver segment on this

 

[BlazinSkatinAxel]

Just another gang above the law.

Send in Micheal Knight.

 

[LucidMomentum]

Crooked cops with the right connections can become really wealthy. For all intents and purposes they are engaging in organized crime. The exact same situation occurred with provincial officials in the 17th and 18th centuries. They became rich looking the other way with regards to piracy.

Exactly. The military and the police force in the USA are the most corrupt entities around and yet if you bring it up people think you hate freedom and support 9/11 or something.

It's astounding how people are quick to call politicians and lawyers corrupt and unjust but you bring up Brown or Castle and everyone starts defending the boys in blue.

 

[old manatee]

bullies