Civil Asset Forfeiture Rises To New Level
by Shari Dovale
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced SB-1241 on 5/25/2017. Titled “Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Counterfeiting Act of 2017.”
Under the guise of fighting money laundering, the bill actually forces the common citizen to report their cash and other assets to the government. Other assets include prepaid mobile phones, retail gift vouchers, or even electronic coupons.
Simon Black at SovereignMan.com reports:
Among the bill’s sweeping provisions, the government aims to greatly extend its authority to seize your assets through “Civil Asset Forfeiture”.
Civil Asset Forfeiture rules allow the government to take whatever they want from you, without a trial or any due process.
Civil Asset Forfeiture is already a hot topic within the states. Abuse runs rampant, as it is used as a “Policing for Profit” tool in many jurisdictions.
Here’s the thing, though: they’ve also vastly expanded on the definition of such ‘financial crimes’, including failure to fill out a form if you happen to be transporting more than $10,000 worth of ‘monetary instruments’.
Have too much cash? You’d better tell the government.
If not, they’re authorizing themselves in this bill to seize not just the money you didn’t report, but ALL of your assets and bank accounts.
The bill specifically includes “Safe Deposit Boxes” among the various assets that they can seize if you don’t fill out the form.
Oh, and on top of civil asset forfeiture penalties, there are also criminal penalties.
Right now according to current law they can imprison you for up to FIVE YEARS for not filling out the form. Five years….
So this bill aims to double the criminal penalty to TEN years in prison.
And if that weren’t enough, this bill also gives them with new authority to engage in surveillance and wiretapping (including phone, email, etc.) if they have even a hint of suspicion that you might be transporting excess ‘monetary instruments’.
We have reported on the unconstitutionality of Civil Asset Forfeiture, yet our elected officials have decided that the little citizen should not be allowed to carry any assets, without permission of the elite government.
They go even further, requiring businesses to be spies for their unconstitutional plundering.
But under this new bill, they want to forcibly recruit even more unpaid spies, including any business which issues or redeems ANYTHING that’s prepaid.
Prepaid credit cards. Prepaid phones. Prepaid retail gift cards. Prepaid coupons.
So, Amazon.com, which issues and redeems prepaid gift cards, will be required under this bill to file reports to the government.
For that matter, TGI Fridays and Chuckee Cheese will also become unpaid government spies since they both issue and redeem prepaid vouchers.
And, of course, they will not leave out Bitcoin:
The bill also attempts to drop a major bomb on Bitcoin by including it in the list of monetary instruments that must be reported when entering or leaving the US.
So theoretically if you leave the US with more than $10,000 in Bitcoin or Ether, you’d have to confess this fact to the authorities or otherwise face the aforementioned penalties, i.e. prison time, civil asset forfeiture, etc.
Contact your elected officials and tell them to stop this.
Hi Shari ! Glad to see you back ! I don’t know much about this asset forfeiture. As you know, we usual suspects have been haunting the Fed courthouse in Vegas, and giving the Jail in Pahrump a new experience. We are hoping for a big turnout at the next trial. Not the same without you, hope you can make it
The thing to remember is that the minimum sentencing will be used as it was with the Hammonds so whether it is 5 years or 10 years the government will use it against you which makes it extremely dangerous and extremely and I repeat extremely important to contact your elected representative to get this garbage changed. Proposed bills like this remind us that we simply cannot relax and let the American dream deceivers us into believing that all is well
Loren : From my boots on the ground perspective,raising a ruckus has been the most effective wake up call. A case can be made for April 12 2014 as the galvanizing moment,the event that got people off the couch and into action. It is, after all, what people do, rather than what they say, that will gain public attention. Didn’t Gandhi personify this home truth ? A powerful but little noted benefit of our “Being there” has been to serve as a point of first contact with dissatisfied folks from around the country. They may have been asking themselves the old question : “What can I do ?” and are finally mobilized by seeing us out there. Write our reps ? How many of them are conversant with fundamental principle? How many reps actually believe in the strength of our constitutional republic ? Many of them seem to have a fair weather view of our rights, that is, chuck them overboard at the first sign of crisis. From my experience with the Feds,a recurring phrase has emerged, namely, the ‘Government Interest”. We, on the other hand, are protecting the American Interest.
Neil, one point to make a full analysis; the Federal Government DOES ask the American people what they think…on the majority of posting on the Federal Register there is an Period for Public Comment. And after reviewing the Federal Register for a couple years it is a rare topic that gathers over 20 comments…and that is from a population of over 320 million people.
True, the Federal Government is not bound to act upon the comments…but they DO ask us what we think. And the ocean of silence really gives them a idea of what they can get away with…anything.
And for the knuckleheads who run around saying “We are a Democracy”…so, what better avenue for Democracy to be exemplified that for the citizens to be asked what they think? And from that…how many times have ya’ll told the Government what you think? (lol, a sure way to get a folder and flag put on it just for you.)