Joseph Rivers left Romulus, Michigan on April 15 with big dreams of heading to Hollywood to shoot a music video. He boarded an Amtrak train with $16,000, which he acquired through hard work and investments from relatives.
When the train made a stopover in Albuquerque, New Mexico, DEA agents boarded the train and began asking passengers where they were going and why. They then asked to have a look through Rivers’ bags to which he obliged.
Upon finding the savings, the agents confiscated the cash on suspicion that it was drug-related, despite the fact the money was still in a bank envelope and his story checked out with his mom.
Civil asset seizures amounted to $3.9 billion in 2014. The money—not the individual—then goes on trial where it remains guilty until proven innocent.
If you’d like to help Rivers regain the money to pursue his dream, here’s a link to his GoFundMe page: http://www.gofundme.com/u6e2mwc
Until there are consequences for police depriving citizens of their fourth amendment rights, they’ll keep using civil seizure to treat people like a busted slot machine that keeps on giving.
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