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Forfeiting Credibility: Civil Forfeiture Hurts Law Enforcement, Too
Townhall.com ^ | December 2, 2013 | Rebecca Furdek

Posted on 12/02/2013 9:02:40 AM PST by Kaslin

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1 posted on 12/02/2013 9:02:40 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

The statists never did much like that Constitution thing. So they just ignored the part about unjust seizure, gave it a different name, and kept right on doing what they were doing. It’s the American way.


2 posted on 12/02/2013 9:21:11 AM PST by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible traitors. Complicit in the destruction of our country.)
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To: I want the USA back

In the case of the grocery store, the gentleman’s daily deposits happened to fall below the $10k reporting level, so the IRS accused him of bundling. The weird thing is that they had just done an audit on him so they should know what his cash receipts are and how much should be deposited on an average day. Plus, who bundles to hide an amount of $35,000. Wtf, I have more money than that in my private accounts.


3 posted on 12/02/2013 9:39:44 AM PST by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: Kaslin
Thanks to all the drug warriors for this assault on the Constitution. This evil can be laid directly at your feet.
4 posted on 12/02/2013 10:25:26 AM PST by zeugma (Is it evil of me to teach my bird to say "here kitty, kitty"?)
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To: USNBandit

>> so the IRS accused him of bundling.>>

Would you please be good enough to explain what bundling is to me?


5 posted on 12/02/2013 10:48:02 AM PST by kitkat (STORM THE HEAVENS WITH PRAYERS FOR OUR COUNTRY.)
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To: kitkat

IIRC - Banks are required to report cash deposits of more than x amount.

The idea is to catch those who illegally run a cash business (ostensibly drug dealers, etc.).

The ‘bundle’ then occurs when someone has (e.g.) $18K to deposit; but to avoid this large deposit being reported, they will it into smaller individual bundles, each of which can then be deposited without triggering the report.


6 posted on 12/02/2013 10:57:38 AM PST by jonno (Having an opinion is not the same as having the answer...)
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To: jonno

dang - once again no ‘edit’ button...


7 posted on 12/02/2013 10:58:31 AM PST by jonno (Having an opinion is not the same as having the answer...)
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To: zeugma
Thanks to all the drug warriors for this assault on the Constitution. This evil can be laid directly at your feet.

Exactly right.

8 posted on 12/02/2013 11:12:56 AM PST by Ken H (What happens on the internet, stays on the internet.)
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To: kitkat
Would you please be good enough to explain what bundling is to me?

it is actually called structuring

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structuring
9 posted on 12/02/2013 11:16:05 AM PST by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
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To: Kaslin

I’m not in favor of these laws, but if we are going to keep them then there should be some restrictions to prevent abuse:

1. Assets are frozen for 180 days or until charges are filed.
2. Assets are unfrozen if charges are dropped or the defendant is acquitted
3. Forfeiture is only permissible after a felony conviction
4. The federal government is not allowed to work with police in districts with local laws banning forfeiture (Using the federal forfeiture program as an end run around local policies is wrong).

With these in place, the only way for the police to get a windfall... is to do their job and bust bad guys.


10 posted on 12/02/2013 11:38:05 AM PST by csivils
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To: jonno

Thank you so much Jonno. I couldn’t find it on the internet.


11 posted on 12/02/2013 11:42:24 AM PST by kitkat (STORM THE HEAVENS WITH PRAYERS FOR OUR COUNTRY.)
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To: wafflehouse

Thank you, wafflehouse, for your answer to bundling.

Much appreciated.


12 posted on 12/02/2013 11:47:26 AM PST by kitkat (STORM THE HEAVENS WITH PRAYERS FOR OUR COUNTRY.)
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To: Kaslin
Civil asset forfeiture is a decades-old regime, instated during the Reagan Administration through the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 as a way to bolster the then-new war on drugs.

Although it was done under Reagan, it was Rudy Giuliani's pet project at the DOJ.

13 posted on 12/02/2013 11:58:16 AM PST by Carry_Okie ("Single payer" is Medicaid for all; they'll pull the sheet over your head, and then take your house.)
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To: csivils
1. Assets are frozen for 180 days or until charges are filed.

For a business like this family-owed market, freezing his bank account for 180 days would likely lead to bankruptcy. He would have no funds to pay his suppliers or to meet his payroll.

14 posted on 12/02/2013 12:13:41 PM PST by Ditto
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To: kitkat
Others have explained structuring or bundling to you. In this case the grocery store was bringing cash which totaled between $7500 and $9500 a day, which they would then deposit on a daily basis, falling below the reporting guidelines for the bank. Intentionally making deposits below $10k is illegal, but we can we really blame a business owner for not making at least $10k per day in cash? The IRS lets one of their agents freeze his account without any speedy recourse so he is out $35k until he can get it back.

Not all cases are as bogus as this. Let's say a rich fellow is bored with his wife and wants to procure some company. We won't use real names, so let's call our rich guy Elliot Spitzer. Now Elliot Sptizer (not his real name) wants to buy a $15,000 prostitute so to avoid the banking reporting requirements he makes two payments to the procurer of $9000 and $6000. Despite the fact that is illegally done for purely criminal intent, and that he also violates the long standing Mann Act by procuring said prostitute across state lines, our hypothetical Mr. Spitzer is not prosecuted. Why? Because he is a high ranking democrat and the (democrat) prosecutor doesn't feel prosecuting the sitting governor of the hypothetical state of "New York" is in the interest of (democrat) justice.

15 posted on 12/02/2013 12:42:41 PM PST by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: USNBandit

Also had something to do with insurance coverage according to the article I read in the paper. Coverage max for 10 grand maybe.


16 posted on 12/02/2013 1:14:50 PM PST by TweetEBird007
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To: USNBandit

Silly USNBandit! Laws are for peasants!


17 posted on 12/02/2013 3:30:57 PM PST by kiryandil (turning Americans into felons, one obnoxious drunk at a time (Zero Tolerance!!!))
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To: csivils
With these in place, the only way for the police to get a windfall... is to do their job and bust bad guys.

I would further add that "commissions" for entities which seize assets are inherently corrupting and should be forbidden. At minimum, they encourage cases which could generate a large windfalls by targeting people who are relatively harmless, to be given priority over cases involving crooks who do much more damage, but have nothing of value to seize.

18 posted on 12/02/2013 4:28:04 PM PST by supercat (Renounce Covetousness.)
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To: USNBandit
In the case of the grocery store, the gentleman’s daily deposits happened to fall below the $10k reporting level, so the IRS accused him of bundling.

If someone is in a situation of naturally having smaller amounts which total over $10,000, is there can one preemptively file a form to say in essence "I am making this transaction, and I'm telling you I'm making this transaction. Any claim by the government that this transaction is under $10,000 simply because I don't want to report it would should be regarded as a clear an obvious lie?"

19 posted on 12/02/2013 4:33:37 PM PST by supercat (Renounce Covetousness.)
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To: Carry_Okie

And don’t forget Tip O’Neill and the democrats in control of Congress loved it ‘cause it made them look “tough” on crime.

The bill was passed in the House and then the Senate with a lot of fanfare and little opposition. Ole Tip saw that it was pushed from committee to final floor vote in a flash.


20 posted on 12/02/2013 4:40:43 PM PST by Alas Babylon! (Joe Wilson was dead on! Expunge his censor or censor Pelosi!)
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