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FBI affidavit misled a magistrate judge on a search warrant in plot to seize and forfeit contents of safety deposit boxes
American Thinker ^ | 21 Aug, 2022 | Thomas Lifson

Posted on 08/21/2022 5:02:14 AM PDT by MtnClimber

In a case with a direct bearing on the search warrant issued on Mar A Lago, the March 22, 2021 FBI raid on a private safe deposit box operator in Beverly Hills, California just got even dodgier, according to court documents released by different federal judge than issued the warrant. You may recall that the FBI raided US Private Vaults in Beverly Hills and seized the contents of boxes of people accused of no crimes.

Eric Boehm of Reason reports on the latest revelations that show a pattern of FBI abise of magistrate judges for the purpose of obtaining search warrants that amount to fishing expeditions – a violation of the Fourth Amendment

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. (snip)

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.

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


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: affidavit; beverlyhills; corruption; defundthefbi; fbi; fbicorruption; fbitheft; searchandseizure; searchwarrant; usprivatevaults
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To: mad_as_he$$; metmom; Chode; SkyDancer; Salamander; carriage_hill; Lockbox; MtnClimber; ...

No dog will find a safe submerged in sewage water. Just be sure that it’s sealed from liquid getting in it.


21 posted on 08/21/2022 6:49:36 AM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress !7)
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To: MtnClimber; All
Steve Lehto, attorney on YouTube covered this one, very interesting about using Civil Forfeiture on this case...

The FBI Lied" About Plans for Seized Safe Deposit Boxes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy5A8VIWmxg

Also this story

Lawsuit Uncovers the Inside Story of the FBI’s Plans to Take Security Deposit Boxes without Charging Owners with Crimes

When the FBI asked a federal magistrate judge for a warrant to seize the property of US Private Vaults, it concealed critical details about its plan for the hundreds of individually rented security deposit boxes at the Beverly Hills business. Evidence brought to light in a federal class action lawsuit filed by the Institute for Justice (IJ) reveals the previously hidden history of the federal government’s raid, which deliberately violated the constitutional rights of hundreds of people throughout Southern California.

“The government has a duty to be honest with the court when it applies for a warrant under the Fourth Amendment,” said IJ Senior Attorney Robert Frommer. “But the FBI lied about its intentions in claiming to only be interested in the property of the business, and not the box holders. Ultimately, the lure of civil forfeiture turned these federal cops into robbers.”

https://ij.org/press-release/lawsuit-uncovers-the-inside-story-of-the-fbis-plans-to-take-security-deposit-boxes-without-charging-owners-with-crimes/

22 posted on 08/21/2022 6:59:18 AM PDT by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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To: MtnClimber

I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN.

Safe deposit boxes are “DO NOT TOUCH” unless there is a death certificate involved.


23 posted on 08/21/2022 7:02:14 AM PDT by Maris Crane
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To: MtnClimber

All these illegal acts by the FBI need to be compiled and brought up in the midterms, im talking from back before Richard Jewell.


24 posted on 08/21/2022 7:04:16 AM PDT by Husker24 (Pp)
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To: mad_as_he$$

If your “well hidden safe” ever had any circulate US currency in or near it the dogs will find. Same goes for dogs trained to search for guns and ammo.
~~~~

The same goes for illicit substances. California has no law against one of them, but the feds sure do. It’s a federal felony to possess a firearm and possess an illicit substance which is legal in California.

I would bet a dollar against your dime this was the primary reason for this fishing expedition. The FBI will use this law against Biden’s enemies, but not against any of his accomplices.


25 posted on 08/21/2022 7:27:32 AM PDT by nagant
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To: MtnClimber

FBI also seems to have ignored limitations imposed by the warrant.

So much for the justice system we have badges piss off.


26 posted on 08/21/2022 7:37:01 AM PDT by Vaduz ( )
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To: mabarker1

Your septic tank would work.


27 posted on 08/21/2022 8:06:50 AM PDT by SkyDancer ( I make airplanes fly, what's your super power?)
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To: SkyDancer

Exactly, now if I only had some valuables...


28 posted on 08/21/2022 8:23:03 AM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress !7)
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To: mabarker1

I have also heard some good advice on hiding guns and ammo.


29 posted on 08/21/2022 8:40:32 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…)
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To: mabarker1

lol...True. But a magnet will.


30 posted on 08/21/2022 9:53:15 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Don't rush to your death.)
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To: MtnClimber

If any of the box renters encounters legal problems and their lawyers are reasonable competent they should be able to use this to argue “Fruit of the poison tree” (sayes this non-attorney!)

Of course, the FBI might just ignore criminal charges and be satisfied with seizing assets under draconian drug forfeiture laws. Good source of $ to use for their “operating expenses” and infinitely more lucrative than a small town police department speed trap. You are assumed guilty of something for having a large amount of cash which is probably contaminated with some drug powder and to prove innocent are required to navigate a precise filing and rigorous affidavit schedule obstacle course in preparation to going to court to sue to get your possessions back.

I think that Rand Paul has some legislation trying to end this.


31 posted on 08/21/2022 10:29:08 AM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: MtnClimber

The FBI commiting crimes again. SSDD.

5.56mm


32 posted on 08/21/2022 10:33:06 AM PDT by M Kehoe (Quid Pro Joe and the Ho got to go.)
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To: MtnClimber

I looked up the the FBI, growing up so long ago.

Long. Gone.


33 posted on 08/21/2022 11:01:01 AM PDT by Basket_of_Deplorables (Putin is behaving rationally.The war is on Biden and Obama. )
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To: metmom

Be sure to have a visible conventional safe in plain view. Keep a 10/22 and a mossberg shotgun in it, maybe a revolver.

Hide anything really important built into the walls, floors, ceiling or an outbuilding.


34 posted on 08/21/2022 12:09:50 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: MtnClimber

Who has the power and authority to rein in, or prosecute, these agencies? Do they have no oversight?


35 posted on 08/21/2022 12:14:57 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam (Sometimes when you get to where you're supposed to be, it's too soon.)
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To: pepsionice

If so, is the DEA reformed now?


36 posted on 08/21/2022 12:25:42 PM PDT by Jyotishi (Seeking the truth, a fact at a time.)
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To: metmom

There’s a saying among the old guard in the RKBA community.

“If you think it’s time to bury your guns and ammo, it’s time to dig them up.”


37 posted on 08/21/2022 12:29:06 PM PDT by absalom01 (You should do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, and you should never wish to do less.)
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To: muir_redwoods

Excellent.


38 posted on 08/21/2022 1:23:31 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…)
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To: MtnClimber

First thought, enough with this mislead crap. They lied.

Second thought, do these judges live in a vacuum? They’ve seen what the FBI has been doing for years and they believe whatever those bastards say to them? This speaks very poorly of the judges. It makes me assume that these warrants are taken to Democrat appointed judges with the knowledge that they will rubber stamp them.

Leftists judge shop. The FBI is a criminal leftist organization. Hence it judge shops. If you want to get a clear picture of what’s happened here, look up the pedigree of the judge that approved the warrant.


39 posted on 08/21/2022 5:08:24 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ( If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there..)
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To: MtnClimber

The difference between any modern american police agency (at ANY level) and a 17th century highwayman is hard to discern.


40 posted on 08/21/2022 8:54:13 PM PDT by zeugma (Stop deluding yourself that America is still a free country.)
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