DEA Tag Archives — Criminal Defense and Civil Forfeiture Blog

Published on: April 9, 2021

Judge Says Airline Passengers Can Sue DEA, TSA For Stealing Cash

In 2019, a woman traveling from Pittsburgh with $82,000 in cash was stopped by authorities at the airport, and her money was seized using civil asset forfeiture.

According to the press, the woman was carrying her father’s life savings to deposit in a bank when she was confronted by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents about the cash.

The TSA agents eventually released her, but she was then detained by officers from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) before she boarded her flight. The agents questioned her about the origins of the money. She explained that it was her father’s money and she was just helping him put it in a bank. The DEA officers let her go, but they allegedly seized the cash under suspicion of being involved in a crime.

Published on: January 21, 2020

Pittsburgh, PA Man Files Lawsuit Against DEA after Agency Confiscates $82,373 Cash at Airport

by Brian Silber

A Pennsylvania family has filed a lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) after the agency seized $82,373 in cash at Pittsburgh airport because it considers large amounts of cash to be “suspicious.”

The money, which was stored in a Tupperware container, was Terrence Rolin’s life savings. The 79-year-old retired railroad engineer was worried about keeping so much cash on hand, so he asked his daughter, Rebecca Brown, to open a joint bank account and deposit the money.

Published on: September 5, 2019

Are Amtrak Passenger Searches By DEA Agents Legal?

by Brian Silber

There have been many cases of controversial searches and seizures in Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, which is one of the longest railways in the United States, located between Chicago and Los Angeles. The cases started with that of Richard Mckenzie back in 2008 when he boarded Southwest Chief from Flagstaff, Arizona.

The nature of these seizures has been called into question, as reports have shown that most of these searches are based on hunches rather than evidence. It is not clear whether anyone who has been searched or had property under suspicious circumstances has acquired legal representation for civil asset forfeiture.

Published on: June 13, 2019

Police Seize $67K from A Man During Traffic Stop in Coconut Grove

by Brian Silber

On October 25, 2018, Andres Mauricio Escorica Martinez was driving a white 2018 Volvo in Coconut Creek in southern Florida. A police officer approached the vehicle when he saw the car was parked with its lights on.

The Volvo driver showed the officer his Colombian driver’s license and confirmed that he had nothing illegal in the car. The officer noticed a shopping back in the back of the car which appeared to contain money. The man then consented to his vehicle being searched. The officer verified that the shopping bag contained several bundles of cash. He then found a backpack which also contained cash.
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Published on: December 10, 2018

South Florida DEA Agent Accused of Driving Under the Influence, Causing Crash

by Brian Silber

A DEA agent of Palm Beach County, Florida has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a DUI car crash that damaged another vehicle and injured two people.

Brendan Darcangelo faces charges of driving under the influence with property damage and driving under the influence with injury to others. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.