{"id":2123249,"date":"2023-12-12T18:44:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T23:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/policing-for-profit-fbi-sued-for-seizing-86-million-from-individuals-never-charged-with-a-crime\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T18:50:46","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T23:50:46","slug":"policing-for-profit-fbi-sued-for-seizing-86-million-from-individuals-never-charged-with-a-crime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/policing-for-profit-fbi-sued-for-seizing-86-million-from-individuals-never-charged-with-a-crime\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI sued for seizing $86M from innocent individuals"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpolicing-for-profit-fbi-sued-for-seizing-86-million-from-individuals-never-charged-with-a-crime%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2123249&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>&#8216;Policing for Profit&#8217;:\u2064 FBI\u200c Faces \u200bLawsuit for Seizing $86\u2062 Million from Innocent Individuals<\/h2>\n<p>Federal judges in California are currently deliberating whether the FBI unlawfully confiscated millions of dollars in cash and\u200d assets during a 2021 raid on a secure storage business. What makes this case particularly controversial is that none of the individuals who lost their belongings \u2064to the bureau were ever charged with a crime.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI&#8217;s investigation targeted U.S. \u2063Private Vaults, a Beverly Hills-based safety storage\u200d company suspected of money laundering. In their operation, agents forcefully entered every <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-seized-86-million-in-private-assets-after-deceiving-magistrate-to-obtain-search-warrant\/\" title=\"FBI Seized  Million in Private Assets After Deceiving Magistrate to Obtain Search Warrant\">safety deposit box<\/a>, regardless of the renter, and seized all the \u200cmoney and property found inside, even if it had no connection to drug dealers.<\/p>\n<p>Shockingly, none of the customers of the storage facility faced any criminal charges. Nevertheless, the \u2062FBI decided to keep their money under \u2063the controversial &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-wants-to-seize-money-from-russian-elites-send-it-to-ukraine\/\" title=\"Congress Wants To Seize Money From Russian Elites, Send It to Ukraine\">civil asset forfeiture<\/a>&#8221; rules, \u200cultimately pocketing a staggering $86 million in\u200d cash and \u200cproperty.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, a panel of judges from the \u200d9th U.S. Circuit Court\u2062 of Appeals held a hearing to determine whether\u200c the FBI&#8217;s actions were legal or \u200bif they violated the Fourth Amendment rights of the \u2062affected customers. The Fourth Amendment protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures, aiming to prevent the government from \u2064imposing confiscatory fines and\u2062 seizures of property.<\/p>\n<p>The Fifth Amendment is also at stake in this case, as it prohibits the federal government \u200cfrom depriving\u200b citizens of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, and from taking\u2062 private\u200c property for public use without\u200c just compensation.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200c Institute for Justice, a libertarian public \u2062interest law firm, revealed that the federal \u200dgovernment\u200c has awarded itself a staggering $45.7 billion in confiscated revenue between 2000 and 2019. This abuse of\u2064 constitutional rights\u200b has sparked outrage among \u200dthe public.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Private Vaults eventually pleaded guilty to money laundering, but none of its regular customers, who had stored their money and property in the facility, were charged with any crime related to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/australia-probes-kremlin-centered-money-laundering-scheme\/\" title=\"Australia probes Kremlin-centered money laundering scheme\">money laundering scheme<\/a> or any other offense. Yet, \u2062the FBI intended to keep\u200c their assets regardless.<\/p>\n<p>Several customers joined forces to\u2062 sue the FBI for \u200dthe confiscation of their property and money without any charges being filed against them. One\u2063 plaintiff, Don Mellein, a retired 79-year-old government worker, lost 110 collectible gold coins in \u200bthe FBI raid. Another customer, Jeni Pearsons, lost around $20,000 in silver and $2,000 in cash. Many other customers also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-ratings-agencies-reveal-the-staggering-amount-hurricane-ian-could-cost-florida\/\" title=\"Top Ratings Agencies Reveal The Staggering Amount Hurricane Ian Could Cost Florida\">suffered financial losses<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In their lawsuit,\u200b the Institute for Justice presented evidence that the FBI decided to seize the contents of every box containing \u2063$5,000, without informing a judge of their \u200cintentions when applying for the search warrant. In fact, the warrant explicitly stated that the bureau should return the property found in the boxes\u200b to their owners.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI claims to have made \u200befforts to contact the owners of the boxes, but the affected customers argue that these\u2063 attempts were insufficient. Some property has been returned since the lawsuit \u2062was filed, but many individuals are still waiting for their belongings \u2062to \u200cbe returned.<\/p>\n<p>The case\u2064 is now in the hands of\u200d the appellate judges, and their decision is expected \u200bin the coming weeks. The outcome of this \u2062lawsuit could\u2062 potentially set limits\u2063 on the government&#8217;s ability to confiscate property and money without due process, providing justice for those affected by\u200c this egregious abuse of \u2063power.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Source:\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/policing-profit-fbi-sued-seizing-86-million-individuals-never-charged-crime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Western Journal<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What criticisms have been raised regarding civil asset forfeiture and\u200c its impact on individuals&#8217; constitutional rights?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  E through civil asset forfeiture between 2001 and\u2063 2017.\u2064 This controversial practice allows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-governor-encourages-people-to-call-police-on-neighbors-violating-covid-orders\/\" title=\"Oregon Governor Encourages People To Call Police On Neighbors Violating COVID Orders\">law enforcement agencies<\/a> to seize property and assets they\u200c suspect to be connected to criminal activity, even if the owner is never charged or convicted \u2063of a crime.<\/p>\n<p>Civil asset forfeiture \u200dhas long been criticized\u200b for its potential for abuse and its violation of individuals&#8217; \u2063constitutional rights. Critics argue that\u200b it creates a perverse incentive for law enforcement agencies to prioritize profit over justice, \u2064as \u2063they can directly benefit from the proceeds of seized assets. This has led to what \u2062is \u2064often referred to as &#8220;policing for profit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In the case of the FBI&#8217;s raid on U.S. Private Vaults, \u200bthe agency seized\u2064 $86 million from innocent individuals who were simply using the storage facility\u2064 to keep their belongings safe. \u200cThe\u200b fact that these individuals were \u200bnever\u200d charged with\u200d a crime raises serious \u200cquestions about the legality and fairness of the\u2064 seizure.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI&#8217;s justification for keeping the money lies in the suspicion that the storage facility was involved in\u200d money laundering.\u2064 However, this does not excuse the violation of the rights of innocent individuals.\u2063 The principle of \u200binnocent until proven guilty\u200d is a fundamental pillar of the American\u2064 justice system, and civil asset forfeiture \u200dundermines this principle by \u2063allowing the\u2064 government to seize property without\u2064 due process.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals \u2064is crucial in determining whether the FBI&#8217;s actions were in line with the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable \u2063searches and seizures. If the court\u2062 rules in favor of the affected customers, it would set an important precedent in limiting the\u2062 government&#8217;s power to\u200b seize property without evidence of criminal activity.<\/p>\n<p>This case also highlights the need for reform of the civil asset forfeiture system. The\u200d current system lacks transparency and accountability, making\u200d it difficult for innocent individuals \u200bto\u2063 reclaim their seized assets. Additionally, the lack of \u2064clear guidelines on \u200cwhat constitutes &#8220;just compensation&#8221;\u2064 when property\u200b is\u200b seized for public use raises \u200dconcerns\u2063 about \u200bpotential abuse by law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to reform civil asset forfeiture have gained \u2062momentum in recent years, with some states passing legislation to increase the burden of proof \u200con law enforcement agencies and protect the rights of property owners. However, there is\u2063 still much work to be done to ensure that innocent individuals are not subject to unjust seizures of their property.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of the FBI&#8217;s \u2063lawsuit will have far-reaching implications for the future of civil asset forfeiture in the United States. It is crucial\u2064 for the court to uphold\u200b the rights of innocent individuals and send a clear message that policing for profit is unacceptable. Only by doing so can we begin to restore faith in the fairness and integrity of \u200dour justice system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Federal judges in California will determine if the FBI unlawfully seized millions in cash and goods during a 2021 raid on a secure storage business. Despite no charges against the affected individuals, the bureau was investigating the matter. The decision will address the legality of the confiscation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":2123250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2123249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2123249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2123250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2123249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2123249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2123249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}