Man Loses $22,000 In New 'Policing For Profit' Case

Man Loses $22,000 In New 'Policing For Profit' Case

www.newschannel5.com

MONTEREY, Tenn. -- "If somebody told me this happened to them, I absolutely would not believe this could happen in America."

That was the reaction of a New Jersey man who found out just how risky it can be to carry cash through Tennessee.

For more than a year, NewsChannel 5 Investigates has been shining a light on a practice that some call "policing for profit."

(visit the link for the full news article)

DO NOT GO to Tennessee with cash in your pocket!!

Please read the whole article and just gape at the last paragraph. I know you guys plea bargain sentences, but plea bargaining to get your OWN money back becuase there is no proof but it will cost you a motherload to use the courts?!? This is utterly disgusting and I would say pressure is being applied ot the cops on the beat to do this. Any Tennessee blue willing to speak out?

the article:

In this latest case, a Monterey police officer took $22,000 off the driver -- even though he had committed no crime.

"You live in the United States, you think you have rights -- and apparently you don't," said George Reby.

As a professional insurance adjuster, Reby spends a lot of time traveling from state to state. But it was on a trip to a conference in Nashville last January that he got a real education in Tennessee justice.

"I never had any clue that they thought they could take my money legally," Reby added. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Reby was driving down Interstate 40, heading west through Putnam County, when he was stopped for speeding.

A Monterey police officer wanted to know if he was carrying any large amounts of cash.

"I said, 'Around $20,000,'" he recalled. "Then, at the point, he said, 'Do you mind if I search your vehicle?' I said, 'No, I don't mind.' I certainly didn't feel I was doing anything wrong. It was my money."

www.newschannel5.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

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reply to post by spacedonk


God Bless America... J/K

Duly noted... I'm never going to Tennessee.
I'd actually like a ride off this insane asylum if there's any UFO's departing from here soon.

What a joke, and just a further push to have a cash less, totally trackable society. I really hope stories like this start to wake people up, to just how close we are coming to being part of George Orwells novel. The time of total control and a lack or individual rights is just around the corner.

SaneThinking

I read that article a few days ago and the following day found this little nugget:

www.huffingtonpost.com...

When the Brown County, Wis., Drug Task Force arrested her son Joel last February, Beverly Greer started piecing together his bail.

She used part of her disability payment and her tax return. Joel Greer's wife also chipped in, as did his brother and two sisters. On Feb. 29, a judge set Greer's bail at $7,500, and his mother called the Brown County jail to see where and how she could get him out. "The police specifically told us to bring cash," Greer says. "Not a cashier's check or a credit card. They said cash."

So Greer and her family visited a series of ATMs, and on March 1, she brought the money to the jail, thinking she'd be taking Joel Greer home. But she left without her money, or her son.

Instead jail officials called in the same Drug Task Force that arrested Greer. A drug-sniffing dog inspected the Greers' cash, and about a half-hour later, Beverly Greer said, a police officer told her the dog had alerted to the presence of narcotics on the bills -- and that the police department would be confiscating the bail money.

Seems the police, and even Federal authorities, are getting ever more creative at fleecing people out of money. I honestly couldn't believe what I was reading. I mean, seriously, what the hell is going on over there that this sort of stuff can happen, openly, and the thieves are clearly the ones with the badges, protecting and serving!

The whole "asset forfeiture" scam seems to be a good money making scheme for crooked cops, nothing more.

Bates also told the judge the money was hidden inside "a tool bag underneath trash to [deter] law enforcement from locating it."

"That's inaccurate," Reby said. "I pulled out the bag and gave it to him."

Even if it was hidden, it's normal for people to hide cash when they are carrying a large amount on their person, in a vehicle or in their home. Not necessarily to hide it from law enforcement, but potential people who might steal it. It would not make sense to leave money in plain sight, whether it be $5 or $5000.

This is basically a case that sends the message that cash is illegal. Because "common" people don't use large amounts of cash. As the officer said.

The fellow did get his money back:

After Reby filed an appeal, and after NewsChannel 5 began investigating, the state agreed to return his money -- if he'd sign a statement waiving his constitutional rights and promising not to sue.

He only had to sign away his rights...

Normally we tell the cops when someone steals from us so they can go lock them up and get our money back. Who do we tell when the cops steal from us?

We need a group of guardians to protect us from the cops! Extorting money from innocent civilians is not protecting and serving, unless you consider who they really work for!

Originally posted by JibbyJedi

Duly noted... I'm never going to Tennessee.
I'd actually like a ride off this insane asylum if there's any UFO's departing from here soon.

Yes. The patients are now fully in charge of the asylum. If that UFO shows up, stop by my place on your way out of here.

I am by nature sceptical of a lot of these stories, but the fact the last paragraph mentioned others who had bargained for their cash back WTF gave it a strong ring of truth.

Why the hell would a cop ask if he had cash on him when stopping him for speeding? I would have said none of your goddam business.

This is a perfect storm of drug war corruption between the "we can seize whatever we want" rules and the complete fallibility of handlers queuing their dogs to react: Drug Dogs Shamefully Unreliable

I'm amazed that this is getting as much attention as it is considering events such as this one occur everyday all over the country.

reply to post by spacedonk


WOW! They're lucky the guy could afford to be so calm in his pursuit of the money. The first time I filed bankruptcy it was a $6000 robbery that sunk my business. That is a lot of money to someone on a shoestring budget. People kill convenience store clerks and bank tellers for a lot less than $20,000! I hate to think how I might react to someone violating all of my inalienable rights, and personally violating me in this way. I have to think if an armed man attempted to steal or extort $20,000 I would probably respond with overwhelming force in defense of myself and my property. This cop, town, judge, and state has been very lucky so far.

reply to post by Britguy


Statistically speaking, doesn't over 90% of US currency in circulation have traces of coc aine or other drugs on it? This smells like a rat.

I took a different feeling from the article. I think the article is designed to scare you into keeping your money in banks.

I mean, how else will they get to manipulate your labor to their benefit? Although I don't doubt they take money like this but c'mon.. "If you wanna be legit keep your money in the bank, everybody else WILL be suspect!". Gotta love that fear approach. "Believe in us, believe in usss.... Believe in our power..!!".

Legally speaking, any funds obtained through illegal means are technically treated as stolen property. If an officer suspects the cash was drug money nothing will stop them from seizing it then and there but the onus is on them to prove their case versus the client who they seized the money from. The burden of proving the money was illegally obtained lies with the state although based on this article the officer was leading in questioning when he asked the driver if he had any large amounts of money on him.

If the driver had used his right to remain silent, I suspect he would still have his money although I stand by my earlier point that the officer was leading and ultimately seems questionable.

Well, I guess I dodged a bullet then.

2 years ago I drove through TN with 24k in cash and I speed, a lot. I went to Florida to buy 2 cars and didn't think anyone would take an out of state check.

Funny that TN honors my concealed weapons permit so I was armed to boot.


This is happening more and more as states are coming up broke and state payments to municipalities go down. They need to make up the deficit and the P.D. is the easiest way. Speed traps work, but it's chump change compared to seizures of vehicles and cash.

When I was racing a Milwaukee County Deputy brought a ZR-1 Corvette with a radio and lightbar to one of our trackdays at Elkhart Lake and ran it in SS class. He told me it was a seizure and they used it as a D.A.R.E. car. It did have a small D.A.R.E. bumper sticker on the back, but otherwise looked like a regular squad color scheme. I admit it was fun watching him run with his lights and siren going on the track, it was almost spooky to have him behind you while you're trying to concentrate on driving fast.

But I was bothered by what was ultimately a toy for the officers to use off duty as they saw fit. All they had to do was fill out a community relations request form, and say it was to promote the department.

I understand there is a boat in California that was seized by the feds and was being used on paper to conduct patrols, when in fact it was a luxury yacht unsuited for the job, and was often seen cruising the harbor with party guests.

It reeks, and it's getting worse.

Yeah, telling the officer that he had the cash was a HUGE mistake.
Never, ever tell anyone that you are carrying a large amount of cash.
I have read before about Tenn. police taking cash from people in much smaller amounts. Like whatever they had in their wallets.
This is just another crime that has been spawned by our ridiculous drug laws.

Found this report from last year.

www.youtube.com...

Pretty interesting stuff, it's become a mini law enforcement industry. TN law enforcement alone must account for 5% of total yearly Suburban sales.

reply to post by OhZone


If you don't declare you have the cash you better be able to lie like a politician. Like a previous poster said, most US paper currency has traces of illegal drugs. If you start acting suspicious and they call in drug dogs, you're screwed.

Obstructing justice, bootlegging and who knows what else will be thrown at ya.

If you plead the fifth you will also have a big red target on ya.

I have no idea what the solution would be other than straight faced lie to the police. What a sick and twisted world we live in.