I wonder if there’s more going on here than is being reported. Either way, since the search warrant excluded the contents, it seems that the government should return those without any question, whatsoever. It shouldn’t be too hard to identify the correct owners of each deposit box and simply return the contacts. One would think in today’s electronic world, they took pictures or video as they opened up each box, so there shouldn’t be much discrepancy, while we might all question the motives of the government, them personally pocketing things they see is typically not occurring. I wonder if this type of blanket seizure has occurred with safety deposit boxes held at banks? Is the problem here using a safe deposit company, who apparently was a front for illegal activity?
Seems to me to be a 4th amendment violation any way you look at it. Anything they seized, even illegal drugs, cannot be used as evidence because the warrant stipulated that the contents of customers boxes were exempt............. PLUS I’m sure the company kept records of whose box was whose, else they wouldn’t get their rent money................
This is wrong on so many levels. As one who worked in the system and was involved in many seizures, if the information as presented is true and the warrant didn’t cover the actual boxes, there is no reason for the FBI or anyone to open the box.
The way it should have worked was the box was removed from the frame, sealed without opening, and the owner of record’s information recorded on the box. Then the box itself would have been entered as inventory on the search warrant return.
This is a blatant abuse of the FBI’s power utilizing the search warrant as an excuse to gain access to the contents of the safety deposit boxes.
The Judge, who issued the warrant, should have the affirming agent in his court room post haste and answer under what legal grounds did the agents need to open the boxes? Simply doing an “inventory” doesn’t give them the right to violate someone’s Fourth Amendment.
It’s this kind of BS that gives those who play it straight a bad rap.
If you read the fine print when renting a bank safe deposit box, you’ll see your stuff is not safe even in a bank. Whatever you put in a bank safe deposit box, make sure it’s something you can afford to lose.