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FBI Misled Judge in Obtaining Warrant To Seize Hundreds of Safe Deposit Boxes
Reason ^ | 8/19/22 | Eric Boehm

Posted on 08/29/2022 1:59:19 AM PDT by Libloather

The FBI told a federal magistrate judge that it intended to open hundreds of safe deposit boxes seized during a March 2021 raid in order to inventory the items inside - but new evidence shows that federal agents were plotting all along to use the operation as an opportunity to forfeit cash and other valuables.

Federal agents failed to disclose those plans to the federal magistrate judge who issued the warrant for the high-profile raid of U.S. Private Vaults, a private business in Beverly Hills, California, that had been the subject of an FBI investigation since at least 2019. When the raid took place, the FBI also seems to have ignored limitations imposed by the warrant, including an explicit prohibition against using the safe deposit boxes as the basis for further criminal investigations.

Those details regarding the planning and execution of the FBI's raid of U.S. Private Vaults are now out in the open after a different federal judge ruled this week that the government could not keep those details out of the public record. As Reason has extensively reported, the raid on U.S. Private Vaults resulted in federal agents seizing and attempting to forfeit more than $86 million in cash as well as gold, jewelry, and other valuables from property owners who were suspected of no crimes. Attorneys representing some plaintiffs who are trying to recover their possessions interviewed the FBI agents who planned the raid, but federal prosecutors tried to keep some details of those depositions redacted.

The unredacted legal documents, filed in federal court on Thursday, show why the government was eager to keep those details under wraps. (Reason submitted an amicus brief in the case arguing that the redacted documents should be made public.)

(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: deposit; fbi; fbiraid; fbithieves; rico; safe; trump; usprivatevaults; warrant
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To: servo1969

Yep! Truly a criminal organization.


21 posted on 08/29/2022 4:26:44 AM PDT by griswold3 (When chaos serves the State, the State will encourage chaos.)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

Plato’s quote “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men” applies to this affair, as with most government affairs. “Evil men will grow worse and worse” is the reality of today simple because the Vast majority of Americans ARE too indifferent to actually do anything to stop them other than BMW about it with all of the bluster of a roaring lion but the actions of a rino. This country’s founders risked life, liberty and fortune to provide the tools necessary in order to be rid of evil men...but no one will because not enough people are willing to do the same and use those tools. A nation of sheep with no shepherd is doomed to be destroyed by the ravenously evil wolves. And it is.


22 posted on 08/29/2022 4:28:38 AM PDT by Qwapisking ("IF the Second goes first the First goes second" LStar)
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To: servo1969

The criminal mafia is just a less powerful version of the government.


23 posted on 08/29/2022 4:30:01 AM PDT by oblomov
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To: Libloather

But but but sources and methods


24 posted on 08/29/2022 4:37:49 AM PDT by Steven Tyler
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To: Steven Tyler
News Tonight on CNN and PMSNBC; US GOVERMENT DECLARES WAR ON SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES. YOUR VALUABLES ARE NO THEIRS.

Anyone want to take a bet you never see this. It's going to be HUSH HUSH. Nothing to see here folks.

25 posted on 08/29/2022 4:47:47 AM PDT by CptnObvious
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To: Qwapisking

“A nation of sheep with no shepherd is doomed to be destroyed by the ravenously evil wolves.”

True that. Even if the GOP wins both houses this year, I expect them (1) not to start dismantling what the left has institutionalized; (2) send out mailers begging (lying) for money b/c “once GOP gets the WH too, only then we can beat back the evil leftists” (3) leave the “pragmatic old guard” in place to lead to nowhere while trash talking Trump but kissing up to the demonkraps; (4) cave in 100% of the time to the Xiden puppeteer’s veto every time; (5) let the demonkraps and media slander and libel the GOP base and blame the GOP for high inflation, worst economy without a word of objection.

The best that could happen is that the old GOP leadership is completely replaced and moved to the back bench for the rest of their embarrassing, yet self-enriching careers, and a GOP Congress and WH are in complete stalemate.


26 posted on 08/29/2022 4:51:14 AM PDT by Susquehanna Patriot ( )
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To: Libloather

“... ignored limitations imposed by the warrant”
Not to mention the limitations imposed by the Constitution!


27 posted on 08/29/2022 4:52:42 AM PDT by Fireone (When they pry them from my cold, dead, unvaccinated hands.)
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To: griswold3
The Magistrate should have known something was up when the numbers on the safety deposit boxes and their owners were not listed to be searched.

A blanket search of safety deposit boxes or listing of numbers like 1-2000 should have tipped the Magistrate off.

28 posted on 08/29/2022 4:55:01 AM PDT by CptnObvious
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To: Libloather

“Show me the man, I’ll show you the crime” - Lavrentiy Beria


29 posted on 08/29/2022 4:56:28 AM PDT by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: Libloather

You are not supposed to keep money in your safe deposit box.

HOWEVER, IT IS NOBODY’S BUSINESS IF YOU DO.

Including the Federal govt.


30 posted on 08/29/2022 4:57:11 AM PDT by Maris Crane
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To: Mark17
Among other things, the Mafia refused to get involved in drug dealing because they knew what it would do to kids. I knew a guy from a previous life who was a NYPD detective in the late 1950s/early 1960s who told me this.

Anyone who violated this rule might be found dangling from a lamp post early some foggy morning. The NYPD would always investigate whodunnit for show but never be able to find enough evidence to arrest anyone. In return for this community service, the NYPD would sometimes give the mafia a pass on some minor crime such as numbers running.

31 posted on 08/29/2022 4:57:57 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: dila813
What will it take for a judge to hold them in contempt? All these actions seem like someone who is operating in a mode of contemptuous misuse of process to deprive people of their civil rights.

Won't happen! In case that you didn't notice the marxists own the courts too. Two things are not in their control yet and those are the will of the people and guns. Nevertheless they are still trying to break that will and to remove the guns.

32 posted on 08/29/2022 5:02:34 AM PDT by eeriegeno (Checks and balances??? What checks and balances?)
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To: Libloather

There were a number of celebrities who had safe deposit boxes there who had all of their stuff (jewelry, money)taken. They are trying to get it back. I know Leo DiCaprio was one of them. This seems to be SOP for the FBI.


33 posted on 08/29/2022 5:07:08 AM PDT by vivenne (")
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To: CptnObvious

I think the FBI either threatens these magistrates, pays them off or both.


34 posted on 08/29/2022 5:09:53 AM PDT by vivenne (")
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To: abb

This is the “Civilian Army” that Obama talked about forming when he was campaigning in 2008.


35 posted on 08/29/2022 5:12:13 AM PDT by vivenne (")
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To: Qwapisking

Well said.


36 posted on 08/29/2022 5:25:37 AM PDT by TheRake (If they can force you to wear a mask, they can force you to do other things. Just the beginning.)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

Partner, we have lost all faith in the FBI and in certain government institutions.

We have here is a failure to communicate the message of real leadership.

37 posted on 08/29/2022 5:26:04 AM PDT by TheConservativeTejano (The Business of America is Business)
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To: Libloather

This case has been covered quite a bit on a YouTube channel called lehto’s law.

Part of the audacity of the whole thing is the actual search warrant said they weren’t allowed to confiscate the contents of the safe deposit boxes. The warrant was strictly regarding the infrastructure that held the boxes.

And what’s comical is not only did the FBI still try to seize the contents, but they’ve even been exposed as planning all along, even before they got the warrant, to seize the contents of the boxes. They are quite literally a criminal organization. And they tried to Rob these people under the color of law.

Civil asset forfeiture makes me sick. If you’re driving on a trip without a state plates and you’ve got anything over a few thousand dollars on you, you don’t need to worry about common thieves. You need to worry about the cops. They are the ones that will steal your money. Hey let’s go see mom huh


38 posted on 08/29/2022 5:30:33 AM PDT by cuban leaf (My prediction: Harris is Spiro Agnew. We'll soon see who becomes Gerald Ford, and our next prez.)
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To: Libloather

Magistrate judges now get a 10% cut(like the BIG GUY(TM)).


39 posted on 08/29/2022 5:38:10 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

“Today’s FBI leaders are nothing like those I knew or worked with over the years. Today’s leadership is corrupt to the core.”

It’s not just the leaders. How could it be? Where are the thousands of whistleblowers that would surely be coming forward if they were honest, stand-up people. The fact that they aren’t being heard from says three possible scenarios:
1) they are ALL corrupt,
2) those that aren’t know their families would be killed if they came forward,
3) it’s all a lie and they are as pure as driven snow.
I’m thinking it’s somewhere between one and two.


40 posted on 08/29/2022 5:53:31 AM PDT by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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