ASSET SEIZURE AT BOSTON LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Asset seizure at Boston Logan International Airport happens when customs and police officials have reason to believe that a person has ill-gotten gains. They can start investigating a person and seize assets pursuant to an investigation. If more than $10K is found in a bag at the airport, the owner must have a reason for it and prove that it’s legitimate and must follow other federal currency laws.
HOW PROPERTY SEIZURE OCCURS
There are several methods through which asset seizure takes place. If customs officials have reasonable suspicion that the goods you are transporting are stolen or illegal, they can simply seize the goods before they reach their destination. If the goods are returned after your trip has been paid for, then you can make a claim for compensation. If you fail to make a claim, the goods are sold at auction to recover losses.
If you travel to Boston on a regular basis, then you could easily be a victim of asset seizure at the airport. Many people caught with undeclared funds in their possession will have their assets seized.
Asset Seizure Attorney
The best way to get your money back and possibly avoid a criminal charge is to hire our Boston airport attorney to help you through the process. Instead of merely advising you on whether or not to contest the seizure, our attorneys can advise you on the course of action you should take.
Profiling and Asset Seizures
There have been instances where a traveler might be unknowingly profiled for an unspecified reason and asked to accompany officials to an interview room “for just a few more questions.”
The traveler can be an unassuming young person with a backpack, for instance. Here is a typical scenario:
In the interview room, the senior officer will unpack the backpack’s contents, including the currency, onto the table. In a few moments, another officer, this one with a K-9 unit might come into the room and the dog will sniff the property, including the currency. After a few moments, the officer with the dog might say, “That’s it. The money.”
The first officer will then ask more pointed questions about drugs. Then, the officer might gather up the currency, place it into a plastic bag with a tag, and after copying the subject’s identification, tell him he is free to go. He can go but without his money. The officers have seized the currency and will forward the seizure affidavit to the district attorney’s office. A Notice of Seizure and a Petition would be filed in which the government would allege that the currency was “contraband” and subject to forfeiture. The young person is now in the asset seizure and forfeiture world, and he faces going to court to prove that his money is “innocent.”
Remember that a significant percentage of paper currency contains high traces of cocaine, and it is not necessary for the money to come into direct contact with the drug to be seized.
Customs and Enforcement at TSA
Asset seizures at the Boston airports are usually handled by the customs and enforcement units of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Some of the baggage belonging to passengers traveling to Boston from out of state are also seized because they are considered “high risk.”
Stolen Assets
Seized stolen assets are not unusual in Boston. According to court records, a recent investigation revealed that the FBI has seized millions of dollars worth of assets from passengers in recent years. Our lawyers can review your situation. If you have not yet hired an attorney, you may want to do so today to keep you and your money safe and secure.
Reasonable Expectation of Privacy
Under the Fourth Amendment, there is “a reasonable expectation of privacy” in the United States. The Law Office of Brett V. Beaubien, LLC will aggressively protect your rights in the event of asset seizure, extending to the appropriate acquisition of surveillance video that might support your case. Call today for a free initial consultation.
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