Post by: Manedwolf on January 14, 2008, 09:44:13 AM
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Kimball County seizes $69,040 in traffic stop
BY ELIZABETH AHLIN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Christmas came early last year for a new Kimball County Sheriff's deputy.
Deputy Chris Engel, 25, had been on the job just two weeks when a routine traffic stop Dec. 20 turned into the biggest cash seizure the Nebraska county has ever seen.
Engel pulled over a Salt Lake City, Utah, resident whom he suspected of speeding on Interstate 80 near the town of Kimball.
The driver's story didn't add up, Engel said, so he did a little more investigating. In the end, $69,040 in cash was taken from the car. Officials suspect the money is connected to a drug-trafficking operation, he said.
The driver was not arrested or even ticketed for going 10 mph over the 75 mph speed limit. (He was warned.) But the investigation is ongoing, Engel said. The Nebraska State Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Agency are assisting in the investigation.
It was the first big cash seizure Kimball County has seen, said Sheriff Tim Hanson. With Interstate 80 running through the Panhandle county, he believes there are ample opportunities to make a dent in drug operations. But in such a sparsely populated county with few resources, it has been difficult to devote deputies' time to patrolling the Interstate, he said.
"Chris is a very aggressive young deputy," Hanson said.
Investigators don't know if they will be able to connect the money to a drug operation, Hanson said, but the important work already has been done.
"The big thing is he grabbed 69 (thousand dollars) and took it away from them," Hanson said of the money seized. "That's going right straight to the heart of the matter."
BY ELIZABETH AHLIN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Christmas came early last year for a new Kimball County Sheriff's deputy.
Deputy Chris Engel, 25, had been on the job just two weeks when a routine traffic stop Dec. 20 turned into the biggest cash seizure the Nebraska county has ever seen.
Engel pulled over a Salt Lake City, Utah, resident whom he suspected of speeding on Interstate 80 near the town of Kimball.
The driver's story didn't add up, Engel said, so he did a little more investigating. In the end, $69,040 in cash was taken from the car. Officials suspect the money is connected to a drug-trafficking operation, he said.
The driver was not arrested or even ticketed for going 10 mph over the 75 mph speed limit. (He was warned.) But the investigation is ongoing, Engel said. The Nebraska State Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Agency are assisting in the investigation.
It was the first big cash seizure Kimball County has seen, said Sheriff Tim Hanson. With Interstate 80 running through the Panhandle county, he believes there are ample opportunities to make a dent in drug operations. But in such a sparsely populated county with few resources, it has been difficult to devote deputies' time to patrolling the Interstate, he said.
"Chris is a very aggressive young deputy," Hanson said.
Investigators don't know if they will be able to connect the money to a drug operation, Hanson said, but the important work already has been done.
"The big thing is he grabbed 69 (thousand dollars) and took it away from them," Hanson said of the money seized. "That's going right straight to the heart of the matter."
Yeah. That's...all that matters. No due process...but they took the guy's cash!
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10231335
Post by: HankB on January 14, 2008, 09:56:55 AM
That would make me a common thief, but worse, it could provoke my victim - my innocent victim - to come hunting for me . . . or my family.
Post by: MrRezister on January 14, 2008, 10:55:42 AM
Post by: Standing Wolf on January 14, 2008, 12:57:34 PM
Post by: Tuco on January 14, 2008, 01:22:49 PM
How much did he really have? (sarcasm)
He took it because he could. (undeniable truth)
Post by: K Frame on January 14, 2008, 04:16:29 PM
This is an item about a police action, not a political activity.
Post by: tyme on January 15, 2008, 03:39:25 AM
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Well, yeah, but we're not a police state, because the guy wasn't ticketed for speeding.
Not technically ticketed, true, but I consider $69040 a pretty big fine.
Post by: Dntsycnt on January 15, 2008, 06:03:05 AM
Post by: Manedwolf on January 15, 2008, 06:14:53 AM
How much cash are you allowed to carry on your person before it becomes probable "drug money"?
AFAIK, anything over $10,000 is "suspicious" and can be seized, but I wouldn't put it past some "aggressive deputies" to seize any amount over a thousand on your person.
Post by: Ben on January 15, 2008, 06:21:12 AM
Post by: CAnnoneer on January 15, 2008, 07:14:28 AM
Post by: roo_ster on January 15, 2008, 08:05:08 AM
There have been times I have carried in excess of $10k on my person. Usually to make a car buy.
Post by: Gewehr98 on January 15, 2008, 09:34:07 AM
Post by: Firethorn on January 15, 2008, 09:36:01 AM
I would guess there's a pretty big sliding scale based on appearance as well.
IE White guy in a suit&tie can get away with $1Mil in a briefcase while the black or hispanic with his underwear showing because his pants are around his hips would have even $300 confiscated?
Post by: Phantom Warrior on January 15, 2008, 09:54:35 AM
Post by: Bogie on January 15, 2008, 11:43:49 AM
Post by: never_retreat on January 15, 2008, 05:50:54 PM
If they were such the criminal why were they released?
Post by: Lee on January 15, 2008, 05:59:53 PM
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Investigators don't know if they will be able to connect the money to a drug operation, Hanson said, but the important work already has been done.
That is a real strange statement. Is this part of the "getting money off the street" strategy?
Post by: Firethorn on January 15, 2008, 07:29:00 PM
That is a real strange statement. Is this part of the "getting money off the street" strategy?
No, now they have funds for their annual BBQ party. It's just that stopping drugs isn't part of their strategy.
Honestly enough, I figure that the higher ups in the drug business view this just as a cost of doing business, just like how they occasionally lose a big shipment to being intercepted and destroyed by the police.
The police get maybe 10% of the drugs, 1% of the money and boast about how much they're doing to get drugs off the street.
Meanwhile the dealers ship 111% of demand and write off the losses. Figuratively speaking.
Post by: Tuco on January 16, 2008, 07:46:29 AM
The police
Fixed .
I'm feeling quite pessimistic this week. I'll get over it.
Steve
Post by: Fly320s on January 17, 2008, 03:33:56 AM
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The police get maybe 10% of the drugs and money, but report 5%
Post by: Firethorn on January 17, 2008, 03:46:56 AM
Pessimist, huh? Try this:
Quote
The police get maybe 10% of the drugs and money, but report 5%
In either case the drug lords save more in taxes by being illegitimate than what the police manage to get ahold of.
Post by: Tecumseh on January 18, 2008, 05:22:01 PM
Post by: Creeping Incrementalism on January 18, 2008, 07:48:17 PM
Damn straight.
There have been times I have carried in excess of $10k on my person. Usually to make a car buy.
There have been times I have carried in excess of $10k on my person. Usually to make a car buy.
A friend of mine in college also made money buying used cars that had been in accidents but were easy to fix, and then selling them to people from his place like he was just selling his old car. Not completely honest, but not illegal. He told me he had carried up to 50 or 60 Gs to car auctions, since it was much more convenient than checks.