Justice Department Curbs Use of Asset Forfeiture to Seize Bank Accounts
WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News)– U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday that the Justice Department will restrict the use of civil asset forfeiture laws to seize bank accounts, the latest in a series of moves by the Justice Department to curb the controversial practice of asset forfeiture, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Holder said in a statement that the Justice Department would only use asset forfeiture to seize bank accounts when a defendant is charged with a crime, or in cases where a prosecutor can develop probable cause of other criminal activity or prove there is a compelling law enforcement interest.
The use of asset forfeiture by the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department came under scrutiny after several news reports highlighted how it was used to seize the bank accounts of small business owners, solely on the suspicion that they were making deposits smaller than $10,000 to evade federal reporting requirements—what are known as “structuring” violations. –[wp_colorbox_media url=”http://freebeacon.com/issues/justice-department-curbs-use-of-asset-forfeiture-to-seize-bank-accounts/” type=”iframe” hyperlink=”Source”]