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Officers find $400,000 hidden in SUV tailgate
Star-Telegram ^ | Sep. 14, 2002 | Jack Douglas Jr.

Posted on 09/14/2002 5:31:08 PM PDT by Dubya

Sharp police work, a burned-out license light and a sweet scent led law enforcement officers in Ellis County to more than $400,000 hidden in an SUV, authorities said Friday.

The money, wrapped in fabric-softener sheets and then in plastic, was found soon after the driver of the sport utility vehicle slammed on his brakes when a patrol car passed him on Interstate 35 near the small town of Italy about 11 p.m. Thursday, investigators said.

The sudden braking made passing officer Micheal Adams of Milford suspicious, so he radioed for nearby Italy police Sgt. Vance Griffin to look for a reason to stop the 1994 Blazer.

Griffin found it: a burned-out light over the back license plate.

One passenger in the truck told converging officers that a second passenger was his brother, Italy Police Chief Shana Miller said.

The second passenger, questioned separately, said he had no idea who the first man was, Miller said.

Meanwhile, she said, as officers continued to get "conflicting stories" from all three men in the Blazer, state trooper Monty Dirickson noticed a "funny odor" like soap coming from the tailgate.

Or, more precisely, fabric softener.

Given permission to search the truck, officers peeled off the inside panel of the tailgate and a front-door panel and found $415,394, wrapped neatly in 81 bundles, each containing a dryer sheet of fabric softener, Miller said. Investigators suspect that the sheets were an effort to ward off police dogs trained to sniff out illicit drug money, Miller said.

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
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1 posted on 09/14/2002 5:31:08 PM PDT by Dubya
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To: Dubya
Investigators suspect that the sheets were an effort to ward off police dogs trained to sniff out illicit drug money, Miller said.

Go to Reply #33 to learn about Downey Fabric Softener and dogs

2 posted on 09/14/2002 5:38:29 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: Dubya
Driver: "The passenger is my brother."

Passenger: "I have no idea who the driver is!"

OH yeah. "Articulable suspicion" all OVER the place. <|:)~

3 posted on 09/14/2002 5:40:59 PM PDT by martin_fierro
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To: Dubya
A quote from the article concerning another stop:

'The man, according to Coronado, acknowledged that the money was his but said he did not know how it wound up in the air cleaner'

Too rich...hehe
4 posted on 09/14/2002 5:46:49 PM PDT by Bogey78O
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To: Dubya
Now preparing to hear all the various and sundry "Jack-Booted Thug" comments.

(Only criminals are the true "libertarians," dontchaknow).

5 posted on 09/14/2002 5:48:56 PM PDT by Illbay
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To: Dubya
The brake slam was his big mistake.

He should have been driving down the road with an internal chant 'I've got a secret, nah nah nah nah nah....'. Keeps you calm and a smile on your face. Or so I've heard.

6 posted on 09/14/2002 5:49:50 PM PDT by Dinsdale
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To: Dubya
Every pick-'em-up tailgate I ever sniffed smelled of Downey!
If they had a lick of sense, they would have loaded the truck with a case of detergent, a case of TP, a case of Downey, and other bulk household supplies. Then they could have been 'just coming from Price Club' with some bargains!

Sheeeeshh
7 posted on 09/14/2002 5:59:43 PM PDT by lawdude
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To: afraidfortherepublic
"Go to Reply #33 to learn about Downey Fabric Softener and dogs"

I've been reading in the Sound Off section of the paper that these fabric softener sheets (when rubbed on your skin) will keep mosquitos away. This is related to all the discussions about West Nile Virus.

8 posted on 09/14/2002 6:01:19 PM PDT by blam
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To: Dubya
is it a crime to carry cash in your tailgate? couldn't resist.
9 posted on 09/14/2002 6:04:01 PM PDT by justsomedude
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To: Dubya
The officer from Milford gave away the forfeiture money to the city of Italy.......D'oh !!!!!!!!!
10 posted on 09/14/2002 6:15:50 PM PDT by Dallas
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To: justsomedude
is it a crime to carry cash in your tailgate? couldn't resist.

Shouldn't be.

11 posted on 09/14/2002 6:41:18 PM PDT by DAnconia55
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To: Dubya
The money, wrapped in fabric-softener sheets and then in plastic, was found soon after the driver of the sport utility vehicle slammed on his brakes when a patrol car passed him on Interstate 35 near the small town of Italy about 11 p.m. Thursday, investigators said.

The sudden braking made passing officer Micheal Adams of Milford suspicious, so he radioed for nearby Italy police Sgt. Vance Griffin to look for a reason to stop the 1994 Blazer.

UM, so I guess if a small woodland creature runs in front of my car I'd best not hit my brakes if a cop is near.

ARE WE NOW GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT?

12 posted on 09/14/2002 7:19:08 PM PDT by OXENinFLA
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To: Illbay
They were looking for any excuse, ticky tack or not to pull this person over. Yeah, it is jack booted thugs. They were right this time. But ya aren't hearing about the 99 other times out of 100 where they pulled over an innocent person and found squat.
13 posted on 09/14/2002 7:22:16 PM PDT by dogbyte12
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To: DAnconia55
What's the crime of keeping money in your air cleaner anyway? What the hell is a cop popping the air cleaner for?

I don't get it.
14 posted on 09/14/2002 7:25:52 PM PDT by Gigantor
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To: All
For what it's worth!


YIKES!! #1

Rev. Jackson

Jessie Jackson has added former Chicago democratic congressman Mel
Reynolds to Rainbow / PUSH Coalition's payroll. Reynolds was among the
176 criminals excused in President Clinton's last-minute forgiveness spree.

Reynolds received a commutation of his six-and-a- half-year federal
sentence for 15 convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud and lies to the
Federal Election Commission. He is more notorious; however, for
concurrently serving five years for sleeping with an underage
campaign volunteer.

This is a first in American politics: An ex-congressman who had sex
with a subordinate, won clemency from a president who had sex with a
subordinate then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate. His new job? Youth counselor.

IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?

AND YIKES! #2...

Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986.

The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo
agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release
so-called "political prisoners." However, the Israelis would not release
any with blood on their hands.

The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of
State "insisted" that all prisoners be released. Thus Mohammad Atta was
freed and eventually thanked the US by flying an airplane into Tower One
of the World Trade Center.

This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the
terrorists were first identified. It was censored in the US from all later reports.
Why am I not surprised???

(And they want to give Clinton a TV talk show and pay him $50 Million a year?)
15 posted on 09/14/2002 7:26:22 PM PDT by Dubya
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To: OXENinFLA
They were doing something though, weren't they.
They acted suspicious and police on instinct checked it out and found a whole lot of cash.

So much for saying the police pick on folks for no reason - it's INSTINCT!

At least in this case.
16 posted on 09/14/2002 7:29:57 PM PDT by A CA Guy
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To: dogbyte12
But ya aren't hearing about the 99 other times out of 100 where they pulled over an innocent person and found squat.

I once got pulled over and for some reason the cop wanted to search. I was clean as a whistle (as always) but made him get a warrent (had nothing important to do). Four hours later after the K9 left there was one pissed off cop asking me why I made him get a warrent when I had nothing to hide. Clueless jackbooted bully didn't even understand that I was enjoying wasting his time and blowing his quota. It's a public service.

17 posted on 09/14/2002 7:30:32 PM PDT by Dinsdale
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To: martin_fierro
Could be libertarians. One uses, the other doesn't and that can explain the whole thing. Especially the money!
18 posted on 09/14/2002 7:30:55 PM PDT by A CA Guy
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To: DAnconia55
is it a crime to carry cash in your tailgate? couldn't resist.

Shouldn't be.

The crime wasn't that they kept money in their tailgate. The crime was they had illegal drug money in their tailgate. The seizure of illegal drug money is just one of the many consequences to personal responsibility which conservatives are big on lauding.

19 posted on 09/14/2002 7:31:32 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
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To: Dubya
I don't think these guys quite have the concept of "money laundering".
20 posted on 09/14/2002 7:34:02 PM PDT by RightOnline
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