President Trump has signed into a law a bill reforming the use of civil asset forfeiture by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The bill passed both houses of Congress unanimously this year.
The bill was partially inspired by the case of Andrew Clyde. In April 2013, Clyde’s gun shop in Athens, Georgia, was doing amazing business. In response to fear that the Obama administration may limit access to firearms, Clyde’s store, Clyde Armory, was virtually empty.
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A Georgia man arrested earlier this year on charges of workers compensation insurance fraud now faces six additional counts of insurance fraud and violating state insurance reporting laws.
In January, Bob Coleman, age 69, a county commissioner for Glynn County, Georgia, was arrested together with his wife Sherry, age 59, after a yearlong investigation into their business practices. The couple together ran Coleman Insurance, and Bob Coleman was a respected member of the community. He was elected to the Glynn County Commission three times, and the couple has lived in the area for their whole lives.
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On the morning of January 22, 2018, Anthony Gambino was driving on I-95 just south of Dock Junction, Georgia heading towards Florida when he was pulled over for speeding. According to court documents, when Camden County Sheriff’s Deputy Jim Kelly spoke to Gambino, Gambino “appeared nervous, fidgety, apologetic, and talkative.”
Gambino showed Deputy Kelly his New York drivers’ license, a license which Kelly verified had been suspended. Kelly let Gambino know that, since he was driving on a suspended license, he would be taken to county jail. Gambino let Deputy Kelly know he had a duffel back containing $55,000 with him in the car. Once Gambino was locked in the back of the police car, Deputy Kelly called for backup.
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A county commissioner in Glynn County, Georgia has been arrested together with his wife for workers’ compensation insurance fraud. Together, they are facing 15 felony counts, including six of insurance fraud. If convicted of any of the insurance fraud counts, they face mandatory prison time.
The Enforcement Division of the State Board of Worker’s Compensation had carried out a yearlong investigation into the business activities of Bob Coleman, age 69, and his wife Sherry Coleman, age 59, before they were arrested. The couple was indicted before a grand jury last week.
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In April, Sheriff Butch Conway of Gwinnett County, Georgia, bought a new car for his commute to work. The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is completely black and has tinted windows and black wheels. There’s no question: it looks super-cool. With a 707-horsepower engine, the Hellcat is said to be the fastest sedan ever to be made. It cost $69,258.
The problem? Conway purchased it through his office using proceeds from civil asset forfeiture.
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Criminal Defense and Civil Forfeiture Blog