Kinda the same thing with many criminal cases where the prosecutors pressure people into admitting guilt to a lesser charge or risk facing a worse fate in court.
@@btbarr16 - I would say not the same thing. In this case they are dealing with a pile of cash that they want to keep, though they never had a right to take it in the first place and certainly have no right to hold onto it. So they came up with this extortion threat which was "give us a percentage or we will make up false charges against you and keep all of it anyway".
Civil asset forfeiture was unconstitutional from its very inception. The US Constitution specifically bars this type of government confiscation scheme, with zero exceptions.
@@burkebreathed9139, they could re-rule a different way. The court has changed rulings over the years. But a good case needs to be brought up to the court. Time will tell.
These kinds of cases make my blood boil. If we carry our money in plain sight it will be taken by criminals and if we conceal our money it will be taken by law enforcement. How, exactly, are we supposed to carry our money?
The fact that it is effectively illegal to carry around "too much cash" is a very bad precedent. This actually hurts people on public assistance very badly. I've paid my rent and car payment using cash from EBT. I can't run that card as a regular debit card so to use it anywhere except the grocery store I have to pull out cash. Being poor and driving on an expired registration while carrying my rent in cash made me sweat bullets.
Just curious not trying to be specific to this poster asking this as a general question- Isn't EBT food stamps, for food only? Is it actually ok to spend it on rent and car payments? I have never been in a position to make use of EBT so I don't know.
Oh, my heart BLEEDS. Geez, you're sucking on the taxpayer's teats for YOUR living expenses. I EARN the money that I pay my rent and car payment with. If you're THAT worried about Uncle Sam or any LEO seizing what little currency you like have on your person, get a loadable VISA debit card. They don't cost THAT much. Geez, the taxpayers gotta wipe your ass also?
I can't wait for the American Greed episode of Steve Lehto after the implosion of his Kickstarter causing him to move on to Harder Grifts. God I hope Walter Stacy Keach lives long enough to narrate that!
Surely the fact that the DEA offered to return 90% of the funding is an outright admission that either there is no legal case for forfeiture, or alternatively they as an agency are prepared to be complicit in drug dealing?
The DEA loves drugs. They make so much both by smuggling it in themselves, allowing certain groups to do it if they pay protection and arresting the ones who won't pay their protection. If we demand the government follow the constitution and stop the illegal prohibition we would empty 90% of the prison population over night and bankrupt multiple criminal organizations.
If I were a juror on this case I would award the highest dollar amount I possibly could. Give the man 300 million. Give him a billion. Do something to send a message to this criminal government.
@@Angelsbliss818 people need to petition and lean on their lawmakers. If your state has direct ballot measures, start organizing people to get this on one.
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”-Bastiat.
@1717jbs ... You, sir, deserve recognition! Lorsque la Spoliation est devenue le moyen d’existence d’une agglomération d’hommes unis entre eux par le lien social, ils se font bientôt une loi qui la sanctionne, une morale qui la glorifie.
By declaring funds as “suspicion of drug trafficking” as part of “the war on drugs” they feel they can fund themselves without accountability to the public.
@@zatoth13 The war on drugs & war on terror are simply wars on people and individual freedom, marketed as solutions to the very problems they themselves cause. This is why people don't trust law enforcement or the ones who write the laws.
@@michaeldurrett8388 True~ *however* since they settled; *technicaly* a Precedent was not set :( ^ at least thats how i've understood it from what Mr. Lehto said/has-said. + what little i know about Precedence :) (feel free to set me straight!)
@@glytchd And that brings up a pet peeve of mine: There's no just reason to allow settlement agreements that enable the defendant to claim there was no wrongdoing.
@@michaeldurrett8388 IMO, THERE SHOULD NOT BE A PRECEDENT REQUIREMENT! PERIOD! It doesn't matter if it's the first time, LAW IS THE LAW! AND CAF IS CLEARLY AGAINST THE LAW!
@@michaeldurrett8388 It sets a precedents for nothing because the only way he got his money back was by finding a way around the civil forfeiture of the DEA by using the TSA. It did not directly attack the civil forfeiture. He also did not get compensated for the damages for lost work.
I heard of a young man who was working as a part of a Christian worship music group who was visiting the US from Thailand, who was carrying ALL of the groups money (around $20-30,000) and the cops took it after they pulled him over for a minor traffic infraction. I don’t know if they ever got their money back-it may have been substantially more than that, it’s been a long time, but it’s heartbreaking and devastating to have this happen.
It HAPPENS in many different ways to many different people on many different days so that WE do not see the pattern. Designed and intended to keep the entire human race confused and struggling...
Are we becoming a Banana Republic? My nephew was mentally tortured to confess to killing his little sister. Over the course of 5 days, the cops took video of 40 hours. He was 15.
@@jillcrowe2626 that is illegal. We have to understand our rights. Children should be instructed by their parents to NEVER consent to be questioned by police…and we adults shouldn’t either. We MUST have an attorney. We have a for-profit prison system, and cops get bonuses and promotions if they can charge a person with a crime-and UP-CHARGE when possible. It is now also common practice to keep people in jails (where conditions are often much worse than prisons as they originally were intended to be short term stays)…people are being kept in jail for months to years and then pressured to take a plea rather than go to trial.
@@jillcrowe2626 I failed to say how sorry I am that happened to your family. It’s cruel, evil and abusive. I pray he can find the grace to heal from the trauma.
Yeah. And biblically we are still to "submit to the government, because a good person will not be harmed by officials", or to that extent Paul writes. Mmmhhh...
You hit the nail on the head. I hope more people win lawsuits like this. There is a non profit legal firm that helps fight the cases. Institute for Justice or Liberty Institute I think
Steve, you mis-spoke. You said that TSA officers have a history of collaborating with the DEA. The word you meant to say was, "conspiring." That's what co-conspirators do.
@@grumpysteelman How was I incorrect? As for my name, imagine having a name that every digital device insists on correcting incorrectly! I've been dealing with that since autocorrect was invented!
@@ScottGrammer - because he didn’t mis-speak. He just used a different word than you would have liked. col·lab·o·rate /kəˈlabəˌrāt/ verb work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something. As far as the name, forgive me for taking the piss, couldn’t resist. 👍🏻
The fact that they can keep your money without charging you is the part that's really messed up. I can understand seizing a large sum of money if they suspect wrongdoing BUT if they never file charges or that person is found innocent in court then that money should be returned, immediately! The same goes for ANY legal item that is taken by the authorities for any reason.
>I can understand seizing a large sum of money if they suspect wrongdoing Mentality like that is what got this all going. It's the same with all kinds of legal idiocy, like Patriot Act etc. Where good people want good things and approve of laws that are used by people to make careers like prosecutors and cops to earn career point. This is why people really need to understand that no law which can be used to wrong someone or twisted and bended should ever be accepted. I don't care what it is. Also don't forget that these most screwed up laws are always sold to the public with the same arguments. Think of the children, tough on crime whatever. I've got a rule of thumb. Any time the government mentions "think of the children" I become extra curious about how that law could be used against innocent people, and in 99% of the time you can spot the flaw right away.
I had no idea state sanctioned piracy happened in the U.S. until I found your channel. It was an interesting twist when they wanted to convert it from grand larceny to a bribe---they have no shame!
stuff like this is sickening : many youtube videos like that > DEA Gives Former Marine Back $86900 Cops Took > many many more such highway robbery by police > Texas man is suing the Nevada Highway Patrol after they seized his life savings of nearly $87,000 during a February traffic stop.
Last time I flew to Florida going through TSA body scanner , they started roughly patting me down. Even though I told them I had a ostomy bag, and it was almost full of liquid 💩. I pulled my shirt up enough so that they could see the top of bag and intestines, and there’s a plastic clamp to drain it with . By being so rough I was worried that if he knocked it loose it’s going to be bad! At this point I warned him that if he causes the clamp to come loose he’s going to have a problem ! Because I’ve tried to explain all of it to you I’m not going to be nice afterwards. I wasn’t thinking about it or I would have found a bathroom and emptied it before hand!
Great news… being net +2k still doesnt make it a win, since it stifled his ability to make a living and all the time wasted. He is still in the negative financially versus if this never happened
This is a major Win. Believe me, I understand why it might not seem like it. However, this is a fantastic outcome considering the system we currently have.
@@jasonwebb6885 Our systems resemble that of Rome, not Athens. The Greek principles of Ethics, Morality, Civility, Humanity , Fairness, and Equal Accountability are not pillars in our Roman Style Judicial System. Originally, they were supposed to be. The founders intended for a Greek style system to Govern and assist society. However, just as the founders predicted, such a system would not last very long. The Civil War destroyed the Greek system and replaced it with the Roman system.
That DEA should be in jail for grand theft, and should have his own personal assets attached for the full amount. This sort of garbage will never stop happening while government agencies are allowed to pad their budgets with stolen money. Edit: Also, the TSA needs to be disbanded.
Maybe not the agent personally (though I would not rule it out), but I guarantee the local TSA office received something for their slush fund, and the agent got a "gold star" for the find, which helps in the annual review for promotions and raises. So, yeah, the agent benefited either directly or indirectly. Otherwise, why would he care?
I bet the TSA agents get a finders fee from the DEA from any money they tip the DEA to, and the government, and both agencies DO NOT WANT this to become public knowledge, which is one of the reasons they wanted this case to go away. Maybe that’s why the DEA offered 90% back: because they already had given the TSA agent or agents their 10%.
The TSA has a long way to go to earn my trust and this doesn't help one bit. My daughter and I were traveling a number of years ago, she was about 9 and is 22 now. We were eating lunch in a lounge and could see the TSA line. They were pulling any woman above 75 out of line for extra screening. After the fifth one my daughter said, "Do those police hate grandmothers?" That's one hell of an observation by a child. I think it was likely the agents were amusing themselves or had a bet going. Seriously... They seemed to be having fun.
The Tsa has over-stepped it's bounds here. They are not cops, their job is just security, not law enforcement. And that's why this guy won his case. Congratulations to you sir and great job Steve!
If they just called the DEA after finding out about the cash, they actually didn't sized the cash themselves, the DEA did. And nothing bar agencies to cooperate between each other, the problem is not here anyway but is at the root cause of the seizure.
Man this is a beautiful story, I love that he was able to get everything back and extra. The attorney was very creative and I hope this opens the path to more cases where people can get there money back and extra for damages.
@@DonFahquidmi But, it was a settlement agreement rather than a judge ruling so can't site a court case. Still, if someone gets their cash ceased by TSA and they know about this case and can point it out to the TSA agents they may be able to get a similar quick settlement the maybe some benefit.
Lack of probable cause for a seizure (Fourth Amendment violation), not "civil" asset forfeture. TSA seens power drunk. Does TSA get a kickback from DEA's seizures of cash?
A $15,000 settlement???? Totally awesome and totally not enough. It should be AT LEAST the amount seized. The government needs a strong incentive to AVOID bogus seizures. Better yet, the entire practice is illegal. I hate our courts because they cannot be bothered to follow the constitution.
Gov: "How can we get more money if all our legal and valid routes are ran dry? Oh I know, lets just steal it from innocent citizens!" Judges who know the laws and constitution: "You may want to reconsider..."
You might want to replace the words "know the laws" to follow and enforce the law. I'm pretty sure that there are all too many that know but would side with the DEA and TSA when it comes to applying the law, unfortunately.
Steve, I think this is a really great story, and I'm glad that the guy got his money back with interest. The problem, as I see it, is the fact that the agents involved were not personally punished for stealing his money in the first place. As long as there is no personal accountability for the agents, and their bosses, involved in the seizure, and as long as there is qualified immunity, this practice will continue. Government tyrants will continue to steal people's money and property because they have no personal incentive to stop. As long as there's no personal accountability on the part of the government agents involved, it is the taxpayers who will be footing the bill for their crimes.
What the US needs is what many countries in Europe have. It's called accountability of a government official. It means that any government official that breaks the law knowingly or in a way where it can be assumed they should know, will personally be responsible for the actions. This puts them into a situation of personal risk in all they do, making them more often go the lenient way rather than the asshole way. It makes them double check what they do and not just go haywire based on their own emotions. Sadly even in Europe some countries have done away with it, due to governments not wanting to be responsible. Some countries like Finland still do have it and it's used frequently. Quote from the Finnish Gov's english explanation of it. "Public servants are subject to liability for acts in office, which means that they are subject to stricter and more extensive legal liability for their acts as public servants and the consequences of the acts. If public servants neglect their official duties or acts in violation of them, they may be considered criminally liable. In addition to an authority, individual public servants are also liable for the damages that have resulted from their errors or negligence." "Public servants may not misuse their powers. Furthermore, they may not receive economic benefits that might negatively impact their independence as office holders." "When not at work, public servants may engage in societal and political activities and take part in the work of associations and organisations. However, they are also public servants when not at work: Also in their private life, they must conduct themselves in such a manner that citizens’ trust in them or in the authorities that they represent is not put at risk."
@@ExilSvensk At one time we had a system where a public official could be held personally accountable, unfortunately we no longer do. Hopefully the people of our country will decide that enough is enough and correct this problem.
remove qualified immunity from those responsible and watch a lot crap like this stop: the individual has to pay out of their own pocket, long as taxpayers pay it will never stop
@@ExilSvensk the US has the same accountability laws you describe. The issue is often proving there was “clearly established” legal precedent which relates to the specific questionable action in a similar specific scenario. You’ll often hear this referred to as “Qualified Immunity”, which is the legal defense against the accountability laws. The European law sounds very similar.
I had a job in sports in this century that I traveled all around the country and often had to take money back to the office because there is no easy way to get a check for cash even though it was legally obtained. I had several occasions that the amount of cash was over $30K. I never once had trouble with carrying it except for one time when everyone in one wing of a major airport had to go back through scanning twice and visual search of all carry on bags, and the person visually searching yelled out "His bag is full of cash!" Everyone in that wing of the airport looked at me and I wondered how much of a problem that might be. It wasn't any problem at all. Not from any government nor any civilian person, other than the loud mouth. One other time, the scanner operator, had me open the bag because the scanner just showed a blank screen because there was so much cash. He didn't blink at the stacks of cash, thanked me and sent me on my way. This case should have been won by the traveler, if my experience was any indication. BTW it's fun being an armored car, without all the armor. I did that for 11 yrs.
Steve I was going to ask the same question, If the Judge didn't rule, then there is no precedent set for future cases, even though it was a win, in settlement.
@@Bobs-Wrigles5555 he wanted less waste of court time which is the right thing to do. If you can settle, settle. Otherwise it will just be appealed again and again and again and again while the guy didn't have his money. Also given that this case was mainly on the TSA overstepping their authority in the finding of the money, I doubt a precedent judgement would be that useful. Most CAF cases are on law agencies doing what they normally do.
A little fan fiction: Court case proceeds. Lawyer calls DEA agent to the stand. "You live at x-y-z street in DEA-town, correct?" "Yes." "You benefitted from CAF, did you not?" "Yes." "Right now, police are executing a seizure warrant on your house, which is the proceeds of stolen money. You are now homeless. Your bank account has been seized, you are penniless. Indeed, please hand over your watch, wallet, and keys, to the bailiff. None of those things are yours any more. Also, your shoes, and your suit. Come on, these things are now the property of the county."
Great content Steve 👍 and a nice but lengthy win for the good guy! Hopefully this is new trend as the TSA and DEA need to be on a shortened leash...😁🇺🇸
Drug laws are fueling the chaos in Central America. I shudder for the innocent people trapped there. And yes, I'd allow (almost) anyone to immigrate to the U.S. They build the economy. (I got curious and googled: U.S. economy immigrants.)
As a recovering heroin addict 10 years this year i agree. I think my criminal record has ruined my life far more than my battle with drug addiction. I am still getting turned down from jobs when the last time i had been in any trouble was 2012. Apparently I can expunge my record next year. Probably at the cost of thousands of dollars. Not to mention I am a Christian and live in Colorado now but this all happened in Massachusetts. Apparently there was a mistake entering something in the system and I am not allowed on base with the chaplain due to this clerical error that according to the military base actually states that there was no resolution and looks like I have open warrants from 2012 which I do not. I should be able to sue them for Making like a living hell. But I always just say it’s my own fault for making poor decisions. Now I’m beginning to think it’s not entirely my fault.
@@Shhways I'm in the same boat. Kind of. Recovered for 5 years now. Fortunately I never got any charges. I hope it all keeps getting better on your job quest.
I've said it on here before that for this action, a "RICO" statute lawsuit (criminal, or civil) was warranted due to the conspiratorial nature of the collaboration between the 2 agencies. good to hear that someone is finally taking these 2, governmental, criminal agencies to task for their activities against the people.....
That RICO was instituted by RFK and that's enough to get rid of it. (OUTDATED). If you got file it. If you don't get lost. In 10 days or less the IRS would have figured all about the 💰 money.
I wish the judge would jail the thieves but I'm past the point of believing the solutions will be found via politics. When the soap box and the voting box both fail then we need to turn to the ammo box.
He would have if they didn’t settle. Had this gone to a trial, the DEA would have lost and the jury might have awarded hundreds of thousands or even millions. This is why the judge suggested they settle.
TSA calls the FBI and says, "Hey we have a guy here that just went through our checkpoint with $69,000 in cash, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE IT" - Fantastically sums up their thinking!
When law enforcement leadership allows this kind of behavior, it's concerning. When our judges allow this kind of thing to happen, it tells me our government has become drastically corrupt to the point that it doesn't even try to hide it. Good to see there are still a small number of good judges left though.
Before I started watching your show, I didn't know that Civil Asset Forfeiture was a thing. And then it happened to my wife's cousin when he went to buy a car. He ended up getting half his money back from the theifs, I mean the cops. The public needs to be educated about this unconscionable practice that's allowed. The more people know about this, the higher the likelihood that it'll be abolished or atleast better regulated.
DEA: "Our last and best offer. We return 90% of the money and keep 10". Corbitt: "We demand 100%, and you can keep the remaining 0%.". Sometimes I use similar language when I can't come to an agreement with somebody trying to sell something. "OK, tell you what. You, hang on to the merchandise, and I'll hold on to the money". It's so satisfying to see the look on their faces when they realize, usually after a beat or two, that their sale just walked out the door.
It would be interesting to find out how many times the DEA seized cash at airports as opposed to how often they don't when they're tipped off by the TSA. I bet it's well above 75% of the time.
Is that a Chrysler Turbine car model on the book case? I believe it is, I'm so surprised to see that model on a lawyers bookshelf. The world needs more men like you fighting for rights. Thank you for the service you provide.
@@frankney8284 laughable. That the agency that causes so much trouble, and (at least for a time) assaulted anyone that cam their way, including Legislators, encourages anonymity while not on duty. Yea, they KNOW they are doing wrong, or they wouldn't advocate simple acts to protect their minions from the General Public.
@@frankney8284 TSA, apparently, doesn't realise that the safest passenger on the flight is the one with $69,000 in cash. If they fail at this point, flights are not as safe as we are led to believe. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yR2lgxy-htU.html TSA should be disbanded!
Rodrigues vs US said that the police can't extended the traffic stop without reasonable suspicion. Might be able to use that if the officer starts asking questions not related to the traffic stop. Like do you have money?
Best thing to do at a traffic stop is when officer asks if you know why they're stopping you simply hand them your license , registration and insurance then say from here on out I will be exercising my right to remain silent . Some will argue against giving them license , registration and insurance but it sets up your case before a jury . Basically you didn't hinder the officer in anyway in regards to the stop and anything from that point forward the jury weighs in your favor because your lawyer can argue that you were cooperative and tried to expedite the officers job by not hindering the officer with small talk . Arguing with an officer is pointless so just have your cell phone camera running and better yet if possible have it live broadcasting so you'll have witnesses as well .
Extortion and threats wow the DEA really learned well from the MOB. Great someone finally wins hopefully and more are coming, then judges get this is so wrong on so many levels.
@chuck 8094 Government For and By the people appears to be a lost concept at this point. How did we get to here i must wonder? Because when Good people do nothing, Evil takes over! This is NOT the nation our Founding Fathers envisioned I suspect!
Or can other government agencies seize the DEA funds because by their own account that money is the product of or is going to be used to fund criminal activity. That's why they took it in the first place right.
It seems like he should also have sued for slander as well. The removal of his money wuold leave questions in others minds that well maybe, and that question could impact his future chance at projects to make a living.
Interesting video Steve. I didn't know that you could loose your money by just having it on your person. I've gone to Las Vegas and carried about 40k in my carry on. I can't believe that they are TSA could call the DEA and seize my cash. I now will not carry the cash with me any longer. Great video and very informative. Always Learn a new piece of information on your channel.
I am not sure I would categorize this as a “great result “, as basically he was made whole…however what about the lose to his business, delaying his film, inconvenienced, damaged his credibility… Really what happened here…they stole his money, played the odds of having to give it back, used taxpayers money to take a innocent man to court to fight for money they were not entitled to…what the deterrent here 🤔 The deterrent IF any, was that the man won’t carry cash as he has a right to do…so in part the government won, as they now are bullying a citizen into quashing his constitutional rights. A great win, imho, the lawyer would’ve been paid and punitive action would’ve been applied to the agencies, $20k to the victim and lawyers fees paid would’ve been more of a decent win..but still not great.
Not entirely whole either - he lost 8 months of projects he could have worked on, and didn't even get the interest that money would have generated during that time. Consider that the government has lawyers on their payroll and this doesn't actually cost them anything for legal fees on their side, so the government has technically still come out ahead here - albeit not by all that much. But there's still no penalty sufficient to discourage further attempts to do exactly the same thing, especially since it was eventually settled in mediation, so there's no precedent for future judges to follow.
Fun fact Aretha Franklin early on was siffed for a show and after that was paid in cash prior to every show she performed. What more she would have pockets sown into her dresses to hold it during the show. Towards the end of her career she would have been singing RESPECT with close to $100,000 in hundreds wrapped around her body. Lesson, never trust a producer/booking agent you don't know. Contracts are good, cash (half up front, half upon completion) way better.
My favourite how rubbish is showbiz story, chuck Berry would get paid in cash before the show he would place the cash in an attache case and wind his guitar lead through the handles, then he'd know if he was being robbed again.
@@sd906238 Gold and silver have been money for thousands of years. Government issued paper currency is lucky to last more than a few decades, and even if it does last that long, it's losing value year after year.
I like how they can say 'you have money for bad things' then say 'we will give you 90% of the money back to use for bad things'. I know he was not using it for bad things but that's the implication if you settle, a black mark on your file.
I first heard of this type of seizure a few years ago involving a guy who was carrying money for a restaurant purchase (?) while traveling between cities. This, imo, is worse than drug traffickers moving money around illegally. Government stealing from its citizens should have a much larger spotlight shined on it to help reverse this practice
I can't thank you enough Steve for continuing to pound this subject home to people. As you put it we all see that the king has no clothes, and we are tired if the governments lies. Keep it up Steve.
We're starting to see and hear about more of these cases where the little guy wins. But what about interest? A great way to make money, seize cash, deposit it or invest it, pay it back and pocket the earnings, they still win. It looks like the courts are realizing how ridiculous it is that civil asset forfeiture laws are being misused. Theoretically the police/FBI/etc could stop anyone at any time and seize any cash they may be carrying, no matter how much or how little.
Because the govt has taken it too far. Notice, thus guy was shocked to learn what the govt can do to him. Before this, he probably would have sided with the govt..doing this to another person..
A friend of mine was traveling to Seattle with $150,000 to pay his deceased wife’s hospital bill. TSA alerted DEA and they tried to seize his money but he insisted that if they were going to take the money they would have to arrest him. Inexplicably, they all backed down and let him and his money go.
Many years ago there was either a 60 Minutes segment or 20/20 segment that talked about the civil forfeiture where money was being seized in airports. One of the situations was in which ticket agents would get bounties bounties from the feds to report people carrying large sums of cash when they bought their tickets.
That man was a legend! Not everyone who experience that does the same thing. Sadly, one of the most affected people here are landlords. They rent out their properties, not expecting that tenants turn it into a drug hub or something. It's unfortunate and this law should be amended.
He doesn't want it to go to SCOTUS where the case gets overturned for political reasons and then illegal search and seizure gets codified in law. Our highest court is corrupt. MAKE SCOTUS ELECTED, NOT APPOINTED.
@@Mavendow That's going to make it worse... anyone who has the drive to succeed in an election has an agenda. Supreme court justices should only have the agenda of ensuring whatever law is questioned is or is not constitutional.
