If you're going to play the greed card on the Smoaks, then you are opening up the same thing for the cops.
For example:
Maybe when the THP heard about the cash, they saw an opportunity for asset seizure, and therefore made sure the original call got turned into a possible robbery/car jacking so they'd be able to do a felony stop.
And to be fair, let's compare how many times the Smoaks have brought lawsuits vs how many cash seizures have been made by the THP and Cookeville PD over the same time frame.
I don't think any of the above is provable or disprovable, but I wouldn't think that the defenders of this police action would want to open that can of worms.
What's provable is that they are seeking and accepting contributions for pursuing their case.