News (Media Awareness Project) - US TX: Goliad Seizure Nets $21 Million |
| Title: | US TX: Goliad Seizure Nets $21 Million |
| Published On: | 1998-11-19 |
| Source: | San Antonio Express-News (TX) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-06 20:00:35 |
GOLIAD SEIZURE NETS $2.1 MILLION
Except for a few paper cuts, life was back to normal Tuesday for Goliad
County Sheriff J.K. McMahan after seizing and counting a record $2,169,108
in suspected drug money over the weekend.
The cash was found inside five truck differentials carried in a dump truck
stopped for speeding on Texas 59 south of Goliad about 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Department of Public Safety trooper Jimmy Moore initiated the stop. The
search began after Doris the drug dog "alerted" on the cargo.
"We'll probably double her salary," joked McMahan, "to nothing."
Counting and recounting the money took 13 people from 1:30 p.m. Friday to 3
a.m. Saturday, he said.
"I like money, but I got so damn tired of looking at it I would have rather
done anything else," he said.
"A few of us got paper cuts," the sheriff added.
The seizure was announced Monday afternoon only after the cash was turned
over to officials from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
"I carried a check to the district attorney yesterday," said McMahan.
"He'll put it in an interest-bearing account until we do the forfeiture on
it, and then we'll divide it up."
Michael Sheppard, the district attorney, expressed doubt that someone will
step up and claim the money, saying, "They're going to have some explaining
to do if they do."
The Goliad department's largest prior seizure was $110,000, according to
McMahan, adding: "We lost that to the IRS."
McMahan said he expects 50 percent of the money will go to the Department
of Public Safety, 25 percent to the 24th Judicial District attorney and 25
percent to his department.
No charges were filed against the driver of the truck, who gave police
permission to search the vehicle, McMahan said. The trucker disavowed any
knowledge of the cash.
A woman who works at the trucking company said they accepted $700 from an
unknown customer to transport the cargo to Laredo.
"It was just a bad job on our part to do this, and take business from
somebody we didn't know," she said Tuesday. "This was our first time and
our last."
Checked-by: Pat Dolan
Except for a few paper cuts, life was back to normal Tuesday for Goliad
County Sheriff J.K. McMahan after seizing and counting a record $2,169,108
in suspected drug money over the weekend.
The cash was found inside five truck differentials carried in a dump truck
stopped for speeding on Texas 59 south of Goliad about 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Department of Public Safety trooper Jimmy Moore initiated the stop. The
search began after Doris the drug dog "alerted" on the cargo.
"We'll probably double her salary," joked McMahan, "to nothing."
Counting and recounting the money took 13 people from 1:30 p.m. Friday to 3
a.m. Saturday, he said.
"I like money, but I got so damn tired of looking at it I would have rather
done anything else," he said.
"A few of us got paper cuts," the sheriff added.
The seizure was announced Monday afternoon only after the cash was turned
over to officials from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
"I carried a check to the district attorney yesterday," said McMahan.
"He'll put it in an interest-bearing account until we do the forfeiture on
it, and then we'll divide it up."
Michael Sheppard, the district attorney, expressed doubt that someone will
step up and claim the money, saying, "They're going to have some explaining
to do if they do."
The Goliad department's largest prior seizure was $110,000, according to
McMahan, adding: "We lost that to the IRS."
McMahan said he expects 50 percent of the money will go to the Department
of Public Safety, 25 percent to the 24th Judicial District attorney and 25
percent to his department.
No charges were filed against the driver of the truck, who gave police
permission to search the vehicle, McMahan said. The trucker disavowed any
knowledge of the cash.
A woman who works at the trucking company said they accepted $700 from an
unknown customer to transport the cargo to Laredo.
"It was just a bad job on our part to do this, and take business from
somebody we didn't know," she said Tuesday. "This was our first time and
our last."
Checked-by: Pat Dolan
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