CITIES COLLECT DRUG BUST MONEY

Money Awarded From Foreiture Program

Police in Visalia and Farmersville each received checks for more than
$173,000 Friday, their portions of money confiscated during a 2005 drug bust.

The money was handed out as part of the U.S. Attorney's Office's
forfeiture program, which gives part of the money confiscated from
drug traffickers and white collar criminals back to police departments.

Visalia police Sgt. Shawn Delaney said the money has to be spent on
narcotics enforcement, and his department plans to use part of its
money to upgrade surveillance equipment for narcotics operations. In
addition to the money, Visalia police received two cars, which
Delaney said will be used for undercover operations.

Visalia police Chief Bob Williams accepted the two cars and a check
for the money during a ceremony in Fresno that also was attended by
Farmersville police Chief Mario Krstic, whose department received money.

Calls to Krstic were not returned Friday.

The money and cars came from a drug bust in June of last year
conducted by Visalia and Farmersville police at a home in the 700
block of North Kern Street in Farmersville.

Visalia police, who initiated the investigation, suspected that a
large-scale drug operation was going on. After serving a search
warrant on the house, investigators found more than $433,000 in cash
along with 13 pounds of methamphetamine, two pounds of cocaine and 93
pounds of marijuana with a combined street value of about $1 million,
according to a press release from the U.S Attorney's Office.

Also seized were two "high-priced" vehicles, the ones turned over
Friday to Visalia police.

The money and cars were obtained through forfeiture judgments because
they were obtained or bought with drug money. The U.S Attorney's
Office for the eastern district of California, obtained forfeiture
judgments totaling more than $17.6 million last year.

About $830,000 of the money went to state and local law enforcement
agencies while $875,000 went to crime victims.