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You may have heard of civil asset forfeiture.
That's where police can seize your property and cash without first proving you committed a crime; without a warrant and without arresting you, as long as they suspect that your property is somehow tied to a crime.
Now, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol has a device that also allows them to seize money in your bank account or on prepaid cards.
It's called an ERAD, or Electronic Recovery and Access to Data machine, and state police began using 16 of them last month.
Here's how it works. If a trooper suspects you may have money tied to some type of crime, the highway patrol can scan any cards you have and seize the money.
"We're gonna look for different factors in the way that you're acting," Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. John Vincent said. "We're gonna look for if there's a difference in your story. If there's some way that we can prove that you're falsifying information to us about your business."
...
News 9 obtained a copy of the contract with the state.
It shows the state is paying ERAD Group Inc., $5,000 for the software and scanners, then 7.7 percent of all the cash the highway patrol seizes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 09 2016, @01:44PM
and report card stolen. File a report with the bank and have the charges reversed. I bet they can't fight that without a conviction.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 09 2016, @02:27PM
Reporting the card stolen when you knew it was the police that took it? That could be fraud.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 09 2016, @02:56PM
I would say it is the truth. Highway robbery is theft.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday June 09 2016, @03:36PM
Why should the fact that the thief is wearing a uniform make a difference?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 10 2016, @01:02AM
Oh I'm sure that is what the cops will say but it will be interesting to see how a federal court will see it. Sure you're going to be arrested but if you stick with it long enough to get into a federal court they won't view that civil forfeiture law kindly.