Government Seizure of Assets
Asset Forfeiture
Many citizens are shocked to learn that their vehicle, cash, financial accounts or other property can be seized and forfeited by the government despite the fact that they have not even been charged with a criminal offense, let alone convicted of one. But this frightening reality has become all too common throughout the United States. There are innumerable accounts of innocent people who have had large amounts of cash, whether it was business investment funds, travel money or poker winnings, seized from them on the basis that it was drug money, even when no drugs were found in their vehicles and no criminal charges were ever brought against them. The attorneys at the Law Office of John J. Leunig can put their experience and knowledge to work and help you to aggressively combat any forfeiture proceedings you may be up against.
Whether you are facing a criminal asset forfeiture or civil asset forfeiture, The Law Office of John J. Leunig can offer intelligent guidance and zealous advocacy. Criminal asset forfeiture proceedings are generally linked to a related criminal investigation and charge. However, in a civil asset forfeiture matter, there is no corresponding criminal charge or investigation. Yet this does not deter the government from trying to seize the property of innocent citizens. Importantly, there is generally a limited timeframe within which you have to challenge these government forfeitures so you must act swiftly to insure your rights to fight the forfeiture are preserved.
One of the firm’s recent clients had a large sum of legally obtained currency seized from him while driving across the country on the basis that the money could be linked to narcotics activity, despite the fact that no narcotics were found in the vehicle and there was no legitimate evidence that the firm’s client was involved in any narcotics related activity. The government relied on a number of tenuous factors in its forfeiture efforts. The case was heavily litigated on both sides and lasted over four years, but the attorneys at the Law Office of John Leunig worked tirelessly and eventually prevailed after convincing a judge that the officer had violated the Fourth Amendment by detaining the motorist without proper legal justification. This resulted in a complete victory for the client, thereby securing the return of their cash and handing the prosecutor representing the government in the matter his first loss in a civil asset forfeiture case in decades.
The government pursues these cases aggressively because the seized amounts are distributed to the seizing law enforcement agencies to be spent as they see fit, whether that means buying new squad cars, rifles or other gadgets. When facing a forfeiture action, property owners must mount a vigorous counterattack and The Law Office of John J. Leunig, with its track record of success, can certainly help in this regard.
If you or someone you know is facing forfeiture of their property contact the attorneys at The Law Office of John J. Leunig, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 952-540-6800 for a free consultation.
For a free consultation, please call our Minneapolis-area office at 952-540-6800.
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The Law Office of John J. Leunig
The Wells Fargo Plaza
7900 Xerxes Avenue South Suite 815
Bloomington, MN 55431
