Police Steal $87,000 From a Former Marine They Claim was Following a Truck Too Closely
The Washington Post reports that a Nevada trooper stopped former Marine Stephen Lara, over a bogus claim about the highway patrol trying to educate drivers “about violations they may not realize they’re committing,” telling the former Marine he’d been pulled over for “following a tanker truck too closely,” - a claim Lara denied. The trooper then searched Lara’s car and found $87,000 in cash, which the police immediately confiscated and refused to return, even though Lara was released and charged with no crime. Lara is now suing to get his money returned to him.
Oh, I get it now! He was pulled over for “tailgating.” Now, to be completely honest, I don’t like tailgaters either, but isn’t an $87,000 fine just a wee bit extreme? Why, that’s nearly as much as a parking meter violation here in LA. Meanwhile, Lara told the cops he was carrying the cash because doesn’t trust banks, but his ex-wife thinks he’s just hiding the money from her.
Perhaps, but what I don’t get is, how is it that carrying around a large wad of cash in your car is so suspicious, yet rednecks can ride around in their great-big, over-sized trucks, brandishing all kinds of high-powered weapons and ammo on full display - and police are like “yes, and what’s the problem?”
So, apparently - it turns out that if the cops say you’re guilty, that’s all we need to know. Terrific, I guess we can just go ahead and scrap our entire criminal justice system then - forget about “probable cause” and “innocent until proven guilty” - along with all that other silly stuff, and simply ask a cop “what they think about the matter.” It’lI sure save a lot of time, and I hear they’re known to have some rather interesting takes on criminal justice matters.
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“but what I don’t get is, how is it that carrying around a large wad of cash in your car is so suspicious, yet rednecks can ride around in their great-big, over-sized trucks, brandishing all kinds of high-powered weapons and ammo on full display - and police are like “yes, and what’s the problem?” “
THAT.
KateOahu
Level 8
Sep 5, 2021
5
Civil forfeiture doesn't need guilt - it is the cops way to "legally," as courts have oked it, steal from people.
Beowulfsfriend
Level 9
Sep 5, 2021
3
I’m going to go with ex wife on this one as my ex hid money in his car too. He would buy expensive things out of the blue and I couldn’t find any record on bank or credit card statements. Our teenaged son found money in the car, took it, spent it and there was this big secretive argument between son and husband that went on for months until I accidentally overheard one of their conversations.
I don’t know where it came from because I had a forensic accountant look at records to see if he had stolen money from the marriage. They couldn’t find it so I’m guessing he stole it from someone else.
Killtheskyfairy
Level 9
Sep 5, 2021
2
I get what you're saying, but I don't understand how is the police stealing all this money is ever going to benefit her?
@johnnyrobish they took it and he’ll have to say where it came from to get it back. If he’s hidden funds from the marriage, she’s entitled to some of it.
Civil forfeiture. Cops do this in every state but 4- North Carolina, New Mexico, Nebraska and Maine have passed laws against it and only seize assets through criminal law. It's use picked up during the 80s as part of the "war on drugs", though it was used during the prohibition Era as well. It's highly abused by cops as a way to increase funding to their departments. They can take large sums of cash, cars, even homes and other properties with only a suspicion of involvement in criminal activity. It's notoriously difficult to get property back once it's been seized, requiring the owner to sue the department to get it returned which most people just can't afford to do. Even being charged and found not guilty of a crime won't get it returned.
JonnaBononna
Level 7
Sep 5, 2021
6
Fuck the U$A.
P.S. The corruption of cops in the U$A is second only to the corruption of cops in Mexico. The corruption of legislatures in the U$A is secondly only to the corruption of legislatures in China.
Well, the troopers in Nevada need some way of funding their penchant for high-class prostitutes, fast cars and methamphetamine.
anglophone
Level 9
Sep 5, 2021
6
There are some places that just need help being financed, Lara found one. The problems is that he does not want to help. How is that being nice?
dalefvictor
Level 8
Sep 5, 2021
3
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