BAIL BOND IS SEIZED

Police suspect $10,000 in cash is drug proceeds

EVERETT -- When a Seattle man showed up to post bail for a buddy at the
Snohomish County Jail early this month, he made a lasting impression.

It was 5:30 a.m., and his pal had been arrested about six hours earlier
after a minor traffic accident in Everett allegedly led to the discovery of
13 ounces of cocaine hidden under the dashboard of his car.

But it wasn't the drug allegations that stood out, jail personnel later told
police.

They were surprised when the Seattle man calmly pulled a roll of $100 bills
from his pocket and paid cash for his 29-year-old buddy's $10,000 bail.

More troubling, jail staff said, the man didn't ask questions or otherwise
seem concerned about ever getting his money back, according to Snohomish
County Superior Court papers.

And it is now possible that he won't.

Everett police and county prosecutors on Tuesday took the unusual step
getting a judge's permission to seizing the cash under drug forfeiture laws.

They suspect the Seattle man may be involved in drug trafficking too, and
that the $10,000 is a "bail stash," money set aside to quickly spring them
from jail, court papers show.

Although it has become fairly routine for local crime fighters to seize the
cars, homes, boats and bank accounts of suspected drug dealers, going after
bail money is something new.

"I think this is the only time we've done this," deputy prosecutor Ed
Stemler said.

Investigation by Everett police showed the Seattle man and the man arrested
in Everett share a home, and that a relative of the man who posted bail was
arrested last year in Seattle for suspected cocaine trafficking, according
to court papers.

Financial records, meanwhile, show the Seattle man last year reported only
about $15,000 in net income working at adult-care facilities, court
documents show.

Police moved to seize the $10,000 bail money because charges weren't
immediately filed against the man who was arrested in Everett with cocaine
allegedly in his car.

Under state law, if charges aren't filed within 72 hours, bail must be
returned.

Seizing the money had no effect on anyone's freedom because the suspect was
already out of jail, and police still must win a civil forfeiture case
before they can lay legal claim to the money, Stemler said.

The money is being held in a special city trust account.