NPR Articles on Dirty Money Asset Seizures and Forfeitures

NPR (5-12-09) Texas Case May Spur Drug Money Rule Change: The NPR series Dirty Money revealed how some police agencies abuse a law that allows them to confiscate suspected drug money. The problems continue, but in Texas that might be about to change. A police scandal has added urgency to reform efforts in the statehouse.

NPR (6-21-08) The Surprising Truth About Dirty Money: Nine months of reporting on “dirty money” — money seized from suspected drug traffickers — leads one reporter to the conclusion that you often find what you weren’t looking for when digging into a story.

NPR (6-16-08) Spending of Drug Money Questioned: Federal rules allow local law enforcement agencies to seize drug money headed south to Mexico. Millions of dollars are at stake. The system has strengths but critics say there’s too little oversight of how the money is spent.

NPR (6-18-08) Sheriff Under Scrutiny over Drug Money Spending: Sheriff Bill Smith — once considered one of the most successful sheriffs in the nation at confiscating drug money off the highways — is now the subject of a federal grand jury investigation into whether he misused the forfeiture funds.

NPR (6-17-08) Deputy Has Midas Touch in Asset Seizures: Chief Deputy Eddie Ingram’s skill at sniffing out drug money has led to millions of dollars in drug asset seizures over the past 15 years. The departments he has worked for are allowed to pocket up to 80 percent of his hauls.

NPR (6-16-08) Seized Drug Assets Pad Police Budgets: Justice Department data show that the amount of drug-related assets confiscated since 2004 has tripled, from $567 million to $1.6 billion. Critics claim some law enforcement agencies have become “addicted to drug money” in their quest to fill their own coffers.

NPR (6-16-08) Cash Seizures by Police Prompt Court Fights: Law enforcement officials can confiscate money without ever charging anyone with a crime, as long as they can prove it’s tied to illegal activity. But sometimes they take money even when they can’t connect it to a crime.

NPR (6-15-08) A Primer on Dirty Money: The ins and outs of the drug asset forfeiture process.