Posted on 12/13/2006 7:59:06 AM PST by blam
$1 million cash found concealed in pickup
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
By DAVID FERRARA
Staff Reporter
State troopers found $1 million cash stuffed inside a hidden compartment in a pickup truck, but authorities refused to say much Tuesday about why they seized the money and the vehicle.
The driver was alone in a 2006 Ford F-350, registered in Washington state and headed west on Interstate 10 around 3:15 p.m. Sunday, when he was pulled over, initially under suspicion of speeding, just east of the Eastern Shore Centre, said trooper spokeswoman Martha Earnhardt.
Working on a "saturation patrol" designed to investigate beyond an initial traffic stop, the trooper brought out a drug-sniffing dog, Earnhardt said.
The dog "alerted on the vehicle," and a search revealed the hidden cash but no drugs, Earnhardt said.
State and federal authorities are keeping a tight seal on details about the seizure. Officials refused to reveal the location of the hidden compartment, the denominations of the bills seized or the identify of the driver.
The case has been turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for investigation, officials said.
Tom Wade, the DEA's resident agent in charge in Mobile, said the money was turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service. The driver could claim the cash and try to get it back through the courts, but it will likely be distributed to state and federal agencies, officials said.
Cash can be confiscated if investigators believe it was associated with criminal activity, Wade and Earnhardt said.
"Normal people do not move money across state lines in a pickup truck," Wade said. "Think of how much interest you would be losing by hauling it around in a pickup truck each day."
Wade refused to discuss the case specifically, saying his department was "just in the beginning stages of the follow-up investigation. "We're just starting to put some facts together," he said.
Wade called $1 million in cash a "significant" seizure for a traffic stop and said authorities usually find no more than $100,000 in similar cases.
Investigators often find that drugs are moved east on I-10 and cash from drug sales is transferred back west along the interstate, Wade said.
"Just the fact of life is that the source of a lot of our drugs is Mexico," Wade said. "Drug dealers want to get their money back to the source.
"Someone coming from Washington state is kind of an anomaly around here. I rarely see license plates from that part of the country."
Authorities would not say where the driver was from.
The trooper confiscated the cash, handed the driver a printed receipt and called the DEA, according to Earnhardt. Local immigration agents responded with the DEA to the scene, she said.
The driver was charged with possession of a false passport and the truck was seized, Earnhardt said. But officials did not say whether the driver was taken into custody.
"As far as I know, I don't think he's in federal custody, but I don't know that for sure," Wade said.
Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not confirm the charge Tuesday.
Looks like the LEO's all get new cars.
Strange that the driver has not been named. Since the drug sniffing dog found the money, this might mean there were traces of drugs on the cash.
Just about all US cash has trace amounts of drugs on it.
The price of speeding sure has gone up...:-)
Not to sound apologetic for any form of drug trafficking, but whatever happened to "unreasonable searches and seizures" part of the Constitution?
Seize the cash, release the driver is wrong. Either let him go with the cash, or take him into custody, charge him with a crime, and place the cash into evidence.
Of course the probability is that the money is drug money, but the Fourth Amendment has gone the way of the Second Amendment.
Looks like the LEO's all get new cars.
Try to find any cash that doesn't have some drug trace on it. Unless you just picked it up at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's will call window it will almost certainly have some drug trace on it.
I bet it is not Mexico.
There is no reason to NOT say the suspect is Mexican. My immediate 'feeling' is, Mexico is mentioned as a "source" of drugs - probably to distract.
Could be a muslim. Too much is not being said.
Has any one even considered the idea, that this guy could just be a plumber?
"Because I want to."
Is there any need for more elaboration? So long as I'm not bringing it into or out of the country, it's perfectly legal.
Strange that the driver has not been named. Since the drug sniffing dog found the money, this might mean there were traces of drugs on the cash."
That's because 90 percent of paper currency in the US has traces of cocaine. Drug dogs will always alert on large amounts of cash, regardless of any involvement with drugs.
"but authorities refused to say much Tuesday about why they seized the money and the vehicle. "
Yeah, I bet they were, since no drugs or anything illegal were found in the vehicle. Cops pull you over and you have too much money, they can take it if they please, without any concern.
What Constitution?
I usually keep a few bucks for tolls in my truck, too.
And the problem with that is what? They'll hang on to it and let the guy show it is legit, which is about as likely as a pig flying. Should they let this illegal with a phony passport just continue on his way with cash in hand?
The truck was probably registered to William Jefferson.
""As far as I know, I don't think he's in federal custody"
I bet he wishes he was in custody.
Guilty until proven innocent.
Does anyone here know what is the minimum $$ amount one can carry around on oneself without it being confiscated if one is stopped?
$1Milliom in cash has to smell pretty strong, IMO.
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