Criminal Defense and Civil Forfeiture Blog

Published on: March 26, 2021

Motorist in Camden, New Jersey Fights For His Car and Money

In January of this year, a man was subjected to a search and seizure while driving in Camden County, New Jersey. His car was seized by the authorities along with money he had in a bag inside the vehicle that amounted to $43,000. The driver is now suing the Camden County Police Department to get his property back.

According to the driver’s account, he was pulled over by two Camden County Police Department officers who asked to search his car. They allegedly didn’t indicate the reason for the search. The owner, seeing nothing wrong with the request, agreed to the search. He informed the officers beforehand that he had about $43,000 in a bag inside the car that was from his clothing business. He reportedly claimed the money was revenue he collected over a few months from his enterprise that he was using to buy real estate property.

Published on: March 25, 2021

A Rare Case of Civil Asset Forfeiture in California Involves a Giraffe

by Brian Silber

Malibu Wine Safaris’ famous giraffe named Stanley is at the center of a civil asset forfeiture battle among other legal proceedings. Stanley gained fame for appearing in the third installment of the movie franchise, “The Hangover,” and his photos with different celebrities. Since 2015, Stanley has been owned by Ron Semler, the son of the owner of Saddlerock Ranch where Malibu Wine Safaris operates.

In the last year, the ranch has gone under fire on social media when people discovered that the animals were allegedly not evacuated out of the premises during the Woolsey Fire. While the owners of the ranch clarified that the animals were herded into a secured area and were not in any danger of getting harmed, the situation caught the attention of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDWF).

Published on: March 24, 2021

New York Court Decides Fate of $1.9 Million Ferrari F50 Seized at Canada-U.S. Border

by Brian Silber

Luxury car brand Ferrari produced 349 F50 cars to commemorate their 50th brand anniversary in 1996. One of these 349 cars is at the center of a dispute that prompted the U.S. government to file a petition to find out its rightful owner.

According to the civil action complaint from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a Ferrari F50 from Quebec, Canada, that was on its way to a car collection in Florida. CBP seized the vehicle because they found a suspicious black substance plastered over the vehicle identification number (VIN).

Published on: March 23, 2021

Cleveland Authorities Pursue $5 Million in Civil Asset Forfeiture Case

by Brian Silber

Authorities in Cleveland, Ohio are using civil asset forfeiture to seize more than $5 million worth of property they suspect was purchased from the proceeds of a drug trafficking organization.

The federal attorneys who filed the forfeiture request cited several real estate properties, including two upscale houses in Los Angeles, a 10,000 square-foot manor in Moreland Hills’ Mountain View Drive, and four properties located in South Euclid. Other assets in the breakdown were $2.2 million in cash, a 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo, several high-priced watches, a boat, and a bar of gold. Based on the report, these assets were allegedly bought from the gains of the drug trafficking scheme.

Published on: March 22, 2021

Asset Seizure Prosecuting Done Right? Civil Asset Forfeitures in York County, PA, Plunge Thanks to DA

by Brian Silber

York County in Pennsylvania recorded a drastic drop in forfeited items under the county’s civil asset forfeiture statutes, news sources report. This is largely due to District Attorney Dave Sunday’s efforts in making sure that the owners of forfeited assets are given a fair investigation.

When the DA assumed office in the middle of the 2018 fiscal year, he vowed to make changes in the way civil asset forfeiture cases were handled in the county. Seeing the whole process of law enforcers forfeiting the citizen’s properties as a wide-scale money-making venture for the agencies, the new DA pledged to reform the forfeiture paradigm.