Cash Seizures at the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport
What happens when the authorities seize your cash at the airport in Sarasota-Bradenton? If your money was taken at the airport, you should immediately retain an experienced attorney to contest the seizure for forfeiture.
The Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is in Sarasota County and Manatee County. The airport is owned by the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority. Considered a small hub airport, it serves more than 1,300,000 passengers each year. For international travelers, the airport holds full port of entry status, providing U.S. Customs inspections.
Other nearby airports include the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, the Tampa International Airport, and the Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers.
Attorney for Seizures at Sarasota-Bradenton Airport
If your property was seized at the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Sammis Law Firm. The attorneys at Sammis Law Firm are experienced in fighting seizure for forfeiture of cash taken at airports throughout Florida under state or federal law.
If a federal agent with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized the money, then we can help you immediately file a claim for court action in U.S. District Court.
If a local or state law enforcement officer seized your property, we can file your requests for an Adversarial Preliminary Hearing within 15 days of when you receive the notice. If you received a complaint for forfeiture under the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, we can help you file an answer and assert defenses
Contact us today. Call 813-250-0500.
Why was the money seized?
Federal law also allows for civil asset forfeitures in accordance with Supp’l Rule G(2), Supplemental Rules for Admiralty or Maritime Claims and Asset Forfeiture Actions. Under 21 U.S.C. § 88l(a)(6), the money can be seized if probable cause exists to show it was involved in drug trafficking or a violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
Bulk cash seizures at airports typically begin when a person enters the airport with a large amount of cash. The cash might be discovered by a TSA screener in the carry-on luggage or checked baggage. Law enforcement officers look for people traveling on one-way ticket, for tickets recently purchased, while having no checked luggage or only one bag.
Based on the suspicious travel (last minute one-way travel from a narcotics destination locale to a source locale), any criminal history specifically for narcotics violations, any positive canine alert, the denominations and method of packaging, and the filler items located in the checked bag, and the suspect’s inability to explain any of it, the detective might conclude that he has “probable cause” to seize the currency.
The detective will then seize the currency and provide a “notification of seizure and intended forfeiture (often called the “Seizure Form”). The detective might then count the currency or determine the amount through the official bank count.
After the seizure, your attorney can help you file a claim for court action to contest the legality of the initial detention and seizure of the currency.
This article was last updated on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.