Pubdate: Tue, 02 Mar 2004
Source: Greensboro News & Record (NC)
Copyright: 2004 Greensboro News & Record, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.news-record.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/173
Author: Eric Collins
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

SEIZED CASH WILL BENEFIT DEPARTMENT

LEXINGTON -- When Davidson County sheriff's deputies stopped a minivan on 
Interstate 85 last month for making an unsafe movement, the incident could 
have ended with a warning ticket and a smile.

But when the two men inside the minivan told conflicting stories about 
their activities, deputies asked to search the vehicle and discovered what 
could be an enormous windfall for the department.

Deputies seized about $1.2 million dollars hidden within the minivan's 
upholstery, cushion springs and sidewalls, court documents said.

"It's definitely the biggest (seizure in our) history," said Maj. Dallas 
Hedrick, the acting sheriff.

He said the incident brought the total amount of money seized by the agency 
to about $2.5 million since October, when deputies began additional 
training to help crack down on drugs passing through the county.

The sheriff's office could get 80 percent -- or about $2 million -- of the 
seized money under a federal law that allows the agency to use the cash for 
things such as training and equipment.

The two men stopped during the incident, Jose Alfredo Martinez and Jesus 
Manuel Escobar-Chao, were arrested at the scene and later taken into 
federal custody. Both men are from Mexico, but their ages and hometowns 
were not available Tuesday.

A federal grand jury last week indicted the pair on charges of smuggling 
bulk cash from the United States to Mexico and traveling in interstate and 
foreign commerce with the intent to facilitate illegal drug activity. They 
are being held on no bond and are scheduled to be arraigned Friday in 
Greensboro.

According to an affidavit filed by federal Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement agent Phillip C. Haines, Davidson County sheriff's Deputy Will 
Byrd stopped a silver 2003 Chevrolet Venture minivan heading south on 
Interstate 85 near Lexington about 9:50 p.m. on Feb. 11 for failing to 
maintain a proper lane of travel.

When Byrd asked the men about their reason for visiting the United States, 
he got conflicting stories from them, the affidavit said. Martinez, the 
driver, said he was a car salesman from Mexico who had flown to 
Philadelphia with his friend to try to buy vehicles he could send back 
home, the affidavit said. He told the deputy they were heading to Atlanta 
in the rented minivan.

But Escobar-Chao told the deputy the pair were in the United States on 
vacation and had rented a vehicle in El Paso to drive to Philadelphia, the 
affidavits said. Escobar-Chao claimed Martinez worked in a factory in Mexico.

After Byrd issued Martinez a warning ticket for the traffic violation, 
Martinez gave him permission to search the minivan, the affidavits said.

During the search, deputies found 55 bundles of cash wrapped in plastic and 
hidden within the front and rear seat upholstery, as well as in other 
areas. Both Escobar-Chao and Martinez said they didn't know the money was 
in the vehicle, the affidavits said. They were later turned over to U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Though the sheriff's office has publicized large cash seizures during 
similar traffic stops in recent months, Hedrick said the U.S. Attorney's 
Office asked him not to release any information. The news came to light 
after the indictments became public record.

Someone can come forward and claim the cash if they can prove it came from 
a legitimate source, but that doesn't often happen in these cases.

Hedrick said he'd like to use the seized money to upgrade the department's 
fingerprinting system, adding that money already returned to the agency 
from prior seizures is buying two new Dodge Durangos for the evidence 
collection unit.

"That's all courtesy of Mr. drug dealer," he said. "Mr. drug dealer may 
help me solve a murder. He may help me solve an armed robbery. Bless his 
heart."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom