Virginia State Trooper forces 2 immigrants to forfeit $24,000 they were carrying, turns out it was c

www.theagitator.com... ery/

I mean, what else can be said about this other than this is a massive abuse of government powers. This goes back to another thread I posted about courts saying it was ok to rule out cops who have a high IQ. This is the kind of BS you get when you have drones who get off from having a badge carrying out unconstitutional orders.

It is illegal to carry more than $5,000 in cash. They should have had the money in cashier's checks, or have put in a bank account and had the moeny transfered in a legal way.

I don't know the other side, as to why they were stopped. But they were given a reciept for the cash. If all is on the up and up, they shuld recieve their moneyback. Let's not overreact until all the facts are in.

Edit to say that the amount that I was orginally informed, (by my bank) to be illegal is above $10,000. Sorry. However, after searching the web for further verification, it seems that I was misinformed, or, there seems to be an argument over the validity of this info.

I can't find the written law, but do find that officers believe it to be true, as they are seizing the cash. Perhaps its an urban myth that the cops perpetuate?

(It's early and my caffeine kicked in hard and fast, I responded too soon. )

It has been two months and a bureaucratic nightmare for the church to try and get its money back. Should they have carried it in a different manner? Probably, but that doesn't excuse police from seizing funds based off of flimsy "evidence."

Why the hell is it illegal what if you don't trust banks? Hell over here in Aus we had a woman who lost 120K that she took everywhere because she trusted no one it was her life savings. Things must be crap over there if you can't do what you want to over there hey.

reply to post by windword
Incorrect. You can legally carry as much cash as you want, but depending on where you're carrying it to, declarations may be required. Now, that's not saying it isn't unwise (LawGuru.com):

There is no law against carrying cash, in any amount. If you cross a US border in either direction with $10,000 or more you must file a report with US Customs. In using your judgment on whether carrying X amount of cash is or is not a good idea under any particular set of circumstances, be aware that police officers have sometimes seized lawfully-possessed cash claiming it is "drug money." The person in possession of the cash is then in the position of having to hire a lawyer to fight to get his or her own money back. If you have a legitimate reason for carrying the cash, for example you won it gambling in Las Vegas, it will be helpful to carry documentation of some sort (such as a letter from the casino saying this was a verified win).

Michael Stone
Law Offices of Michael B. Stone Toll Free 1-855-USE-MIKE
3020 Old Ranch Parkway, Suite 300
Seal Beach, CA 90740

reply to post by windword


When did that law happen? In relation to a business matter, I'd withdrawn $25,000 in cash a few months ago. The bank gave a bit of a hassle and needed a couple days notice, they said...so I had to schedule it, but there was no issue with picking up the money and doing what I had to do with it. It's an automatic report to the IRS and DEA for cash sums over a certain total and I've lost track as to whether that is $10,000 or has been lowered.

Cops seem to think they have the automatic right to seize money they can make the argument is drug money or something. Another facet of our corrupt civil forfeiture system here. I've read about people losing as little as $1,000 in cash because a street cop didn't think they had good reason for having it.

I'll tell ya though, when I was trucking, it wasn't unusual at all for there to be a few thousand on the truck. I didn't do fuel cards when I could avoid it for the hassle and fees...and with full tanks on an 18 wheeler running $1,000 or more, it wasn't a big deal. I guess it has a lot to do with who someone is, what context the money is found in and just how ugly a cop wants to get with laws that have no business on the books to begin with.

Originally posted by FSBlueApocalypse
It has been two months and a bureaucratic nightmare for the church to try and get its money back. Should they have carried it in a different manner? Probably, but that doesn't excuse police from seizing funds based off of flimsy "evidence."

Why/Who else would carry 24K around with them without a security team watching it?

Probably drug dealers.

See... There is a reason for this law.

Why would you carry 24k around with you anyways?

Maybe if you're an illegal, traveling from some plant work back to mexico with your 3 month pay in pocket. Still, who in their right mind would carry so much money on the interstate? Isnt it easier to just have a local bank so you wouldnt have to worry about troopers hitting you up for serious cash?


Im not about the gov taking peoples things, but Im pretty sure that law is there for drug dealers.

Originally posted by Praetorius
reply to post by windword

 

Incorrect. You can legally carry as much cash as you want, but depending on where you're carrying it to, declarations may be required. Now, that's not saying it isn't unwise (LawGuru.com):

There is no law against carrying cash, in any amount. If you cross a US border in either direction with $10,000 or more you must file a report with US Customs. In using your judgment on whether carrying X amount of cash is or is not a good idea under any particular set of circumstances, be aware that police officers have sometimes seized lawfully-possessed cash claiming it is "drug money." The person in possession of the cash is then in the position of having to hire a lawyer to fight to get his or her own money back. If you have a legitimate reason for carrying the cash, for example you won it gambling in Las Vegas, it will be helpful to carry documentation of some sort (such as a letter from the casino saying this was a verified win).

Michael Stone
Law Offices of Michael B. Stone Toll Free 1-855-USE-MIKE
3020 Old Ranch Parkway, Suite 300
Seal Beach, CA 90740

edit on 1/6/2012 by Praetorius because: (no reason given)

There are laws depending on where you are... In louisiana, try carrying over 1200$ in cash on you. They can detain you, hold your cash and keep it indefinatly. You can goto court to get it out, but your cash will be then used up by a lawyer before you can get a cent back.

Local laws are called ordinances. County (or in our case, parishes) in Louisian do have laws that stop you from carrying so much money on the road. They cant "stop" you in the physicle sense, but they can stop you by constantly taking it from you and keeping it.

You folx should look up Hardcopy and the fiasco that went on in Jeff Davis Parish some years back. You wanna see idiocy at it's best? Look deeper into what law enforcement and government has done to this once beautiful state.

reply to post by theRhenn
As we've already discussed on the threads, yes, all too many police, etc., will give you all too hard of a time for having money if you can't also document firmly where it's from, ownership, etc.

But I'm still not aware of any actual laws against carrying cash, and that's what I was addressing.

reply to post by theRhenn

I'd sure appreciate a link to Louisiana Penal Code or local ordinance for where that can be found. It would be very helpful to add to my own data and a site I'm involved with for truckers. I can't find a formal law, ordinance or regulation that states such and such an amount requires this or that for documentation...but that doesn't mean there isn't one of course.

Originally posted by theRhenn
See... There is a reason for this law.

I can't find ANY reference to a law limiting your personal resources...and police officers are intended to operate within the bounds of the law.

Im not about the gov taking peoples things, but Im pretty sure that law is there for drug dealers.

Well the government is taking peoples' hard earned money... with no warrant, and the only "evidence" is that it's just too much for them to need.

After the police have stolen thier money they are forced to go to court to somehow prove the cash is legitimate. See in the country I was born in you are Innocent until Proven guilty, not the other way around.

Originally posted by windword
It is illegal to carry more than $5,000 in cash. They should have had the money in cashier's checks, or have put in a bank account and had the moeny transfered in a legal way.

I don't know the other side, as to why they were stopped. But they were given a reciept for the cash. If all is on the up and up, they shuld recieve their moneyback. Let's not overreact until all the facts are in.

Edit to say that the amount that I was orginally informed, (by my bank) to be illegal is above $10,000. Sorry. However, after searching the web for further verification, it seems that I was misinformed, or, there seems to be an argument over the validity of this info.

I can't find the written law, but do find that officers believe it to be true, as they are seizing the cash. Perhaps its an urban myth that the cops perpetuate?

(It's early and my caffeine kicked in hard and fast, I responded too soon.

)

edit on 6-1-2012 by windword because: (no reason given)

edit on 6-1-2012 by windword because: (no reason given)

Incorrect.
You find no law because no law exists.

There is no limit to the ammount of legally obtained cash that you can carry.
Any amount over $7000 moved within a bank or transaction must be reported to the IRS by the bank or store.
Period.
When traveling abroad, you cannot carry over $5000 out of the US without filling out IRS paperwork proving the cash isnt from illegal activites and to prove it has been accounted for by the IRS.

That cop just commited strongarm robbery/ armed burglary.

Serious Felony, and I would not stop until he was charged, convicted, and made an example out of.

Par for the course.. cops do not understand the laws they are paid to enforce... or they would be lawyers.

Good ol' Virginia! The single most corrupt "state" in the nation. I've always said that they are so upset about losing the Civil War that they refuse to honor the Constitution and Bill of Rights. I'm in VA on vacation and it gives me the creeps every time I cross the border. I wish my daughter and mother would move so I never have to come here again. I've actually offered to pay for them to move, but they have friends and whatnot that keep them here.

The police here are nothing more than inbred morons. The corruption is so rampant that the people here joke about it, but nobody does anything because they are scared to death of what the police will do to them.

Originally posted by DragonTattooz
The police here are nothing more than inbred morons. The corruption is so rampant that the people here joke about it, but nobody does anything because they are scared to death of what the police will do to them.

Absolutely true! Police corruption, and even brutality were so commmon during my adolescence in the New River Valley that they were a running "gag" of the colleges and schools.

Originally posted by Shark_Feeder

Originally posted by DragonTattooz
The police here are nothing more than inbred morons. The corruption is so rampant that the people here joke about it, but nobody does anything because they are scared to death of what the police will do to them.

Absolutely true! Police corruption, and even brutality were so commmon during my adolescence in the New River Valley that they were a running "gag" of the colleges and schools.

My life was irrevocably and profoundly changed in Arrestafield (Chesterfield) County. Where the motto is "We Don't Need No Stinking Evidence, We Make Evidence"

reply to post by Praetorius


I dont have any sources, or at least none that I have dug up. I do know that this issue was a really big issue on dateline... the news show, some years back. They gave reason and cited specifics as to why they had done this. There were various issues they discussed on the show because the JDSO was doing some pretty shady stuff. Yet, they not only got away with it, the officers involved certainly had a very nice vacation that year. On a LEO's pay in that neck of the woods... 100K vacations DONT happen. I know. I worked local PD for 7.60$ an hour back then. I think it took place maybe 15 years ago, probably at most. I was still an officer so I want to say it happen around 1998-2000.

One woman was strip searched, her car confiscated... She had to sell the car in the end to pay the lawyer it took to get the car back.

Mexican Americans / Mexican workers... I think they were construction workers, but not sure of the origin, wether they were citizens or not.. (btw, there are documented NEWS articles of this taking place more often than not in this parish) One person was found to have 2500$ or so. It was taken and confiscated. Those guys never got it back.

One reporter put a camera in his car and locked his speed on cruise, going up and down the interstate. The very first day he was pulled over. The officer told him his "profile did not meet the car he was driving". Cmon! White guy with a baseball cap was the decision maker here???? When the reporter brought it up to the sheriff, of course, they had all the reasons to do what they do and they backed it up with an ordinance. If there is no such thing, then perhaps it's not state wide, just local, which is common in all states. Local city ordinances can hold more laws than the state and fed. Though, this took place in Jeff Davis Parish. The news report/show was in Jeff Davis Parish, but some of the clips were not.... They were actually much farther down the interstate near the border of texas. So, yeah, those guys are just as much full of BS as some of the Leo's. I cant say all cops are bad... I was a cop and I feel that I did my job correctly. I didnt carry my weight on my badge and I didnt give anyone bad breaks. I was never out to get anyone. Yet, I knew many officers who's persona alone, I would frown upon every time I was around them. Some of these guys are down right ruthless and this is fun for them. It makes me cringe to know what I know.

Someone should REALLY look at the story behind "The Jennings 9"... All those girls that were murdered in Jennings (Parish Seat for Jeff Davis). Lots of rumors.. But speak to the right people, you'll find out more than you could imagine to go on in such a pitifull town. I'm happy to say I dont live near there anymore. Ya never know what you might find out, and ya never know who knows what you know... most of all, you never know who will be walking into your bedroom at 2am to take you out for what you know.

reply to post by theRhenn
Sad stuff, friend.

But yeah, what you're dealing with there isn't laws against carrying cash, specifically, but civil asset forfeiture legislation. In other words, more often than not, actual highway robbery - to be frank.

With the way some laws have been set up - likely at the federal level (thanks Congress..), if the police have "reasonable suspicion" that your property or your money was gained via illicit means - meaning if they want to say so, as proving anything rarely happens due to the hurdles of the people you mention - they will just take your stuff.

Fighting it, trying to prove it's rightfully yours and legally attained - good luck and god bless you for trying. It's simply not right what they do, by any means, to line their own pockets and pad their own precinct accounts.

reply to post by Praetorius


Exactly and very well said!

I think the one thing they (LEO) have going for them, and I am very aware and noticed that this is an issue with alot of people vs Leo's is.. The masses dont always know what the law is. This is where law enforcement has the upper hand.

I would think that what has taken place is more akin to their verison of "resonable suspicion" when it really isnt. It's simply law enforcement overstepping their bounds.