OK Prosecutors seize money, homes, live out of them and pay off student loans

quote:

---

Last week, a review of Oklahoma audits from 2007 to 2014 brought to light disturbing incidents and major discrepancies in the state’s civil forfeiture operations. Civil forfeiture is a law enforcement tool which enables, without criminal charges, the seizure of property, which police and prosecutors suspect has been involved in, or is the result of, criminal activity.

---

quote:

---

In Beaver County, an assistant district attorney decided that a home that had been forfeited by his office would make the perfect residence. The prosecutor lived in the house rent-free for five years, even billing the DA’s office for the cost of maintenance and utilities, despite a court order that the home be sold at auction.

An assistant district attorney used $5,000 in forfeiture funds to make student loan payments. The DA’s office for Washington and Nowata counties proffered the absurd argument that the expense was justified because that particular prosecutor handled mostly drug cases.

In at least a dozen cases, forfeited money, vehicles, and firearms had not been properly inventoried, and were missing.

In Okmulgee and McIntosh counties, seized money was actually spent by the district attorney’s office before it was forfeited. In another district, money was listed as properly forfeited even though no forfeiture cases had ever been filed seeking forfeiture of those funds.

---