Pubdate: Thu, 14 Feb 2002
Source: Daily Press (VA)
Copyright: 2002 The Daily Press
Contact:  http://www.dailypress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/585
Author: Keith Rushing, Daily Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

AGENCIES GET CUT OF DRUG RAID CASH

Money Was Seized During Area Arrests

NORFOLK -- A federal prosecutor distributed $187,000 seized in a Newport 
News drug raid to several area law-enforcement agencies Wednesday.

"It's poetic justice to take what the bad guys made and use it for law 
enforcement," said Paul J. McNulty, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern 
District of Virginia.

McNulty discussed the benefits of fighting crime with money seized from 
convicted drug dealers Wednesday afternoon at the U.S. Attorney's Office in 
Norfolk.

"There is nothing sweeter in law enforcement," he said.

The money was seized in June, after a search warrant was executed at the 
Kiln Creek residence of Brenton Wayne Shand. Taped conversations and 
videotapes shot from outside the residence revealed that drug activity was 
occurring there.

When Shand's residence was raided, officers found more than 2 kilograms 
(4.4 pounds) of powder cocaine, a half-kilogram (1.1 pounds) of crack 
cocaine and $300,000. Shand, 34, and his girlfriend, Marie Barker, 29, were 
arrested on federal drug charges. Shand got a 14-year prison sentence, and 
Barker was sentenced to nine years, after both pleaded guilty.

The investigation and raid were the result of a joint effort that involved 
local, state and federal law-enforcement officials.

McNulty distributed checks Wednesday to law-enforcement agencies from 
Newport News, Hampton, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Poquoson, Suffolk 
and Virginia Beach. The amount distributed ranged from $267 for the 
Poquoson and Hampton police departments to $91,588 for the U.S. Customs 
Service in Norfolk. The Newport News Police Department got $17,931.

McNulty said federal law-enforcement officials were legally required to 
turn over some of the proceeds seized in drug raids to local police 
departments for their crimefighting efforts. He said a task force of area 
law-enforcement agencies that worked with the federal Drug Enforcement 
Administration decided how the $187,000 should be divided.
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