This article was written by Lily Dane and originally published at The Daily Sheeple.
Editor’s Comment: The IRS has never been concerned about the law – if they did, they wouldn’t exist under their current formation. With so many expenditures in government, though, it is working overtime to pull extra cash from the milk cow – and now even going after individuals and businesses on the thinness of pretexts.
That’s why it is so important that the Bill of Rights be defended, and rights be observed and protected. SWAT teams demanding cash with a bag at the door – literally or metaphorically – is not freedom.
IRS Seized $17 Million in Legally Earned Cash From Business Owners, Watchdog Reports
by Lily Dane
Police departments aren’t the only ones seizing money from citizens without charging them with a crime: the IRS is in the civil asset forfeiture game too.
In just two years – from 2012 to 2014 – the IRS stole more than $17 million from innocent business owners, deliberately targeting their earnings for an easy steal. Using obscure anti-money laundering rules and civil asset forfeiture, the agency compromised the rights of individuals and their businesses, a government watchdog has discovered.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released a report on March 30 that details how IRS investigators seized hundreds of bank accounts from business owners based on nothing but a suspicious pattern of deposits.
In more than 90 percent of those cases, the money was completely legal. The audit also found that investigators violated internal policies when conducting interviews, failed to notify individuals of their rights, and improperly bargained to resolve civil cases.
From The Washington Post:
To combat criminal activity, individuals and businesses are required to report all bank deposits greater than $10,000 to federal authorities. Intentionally splitting up large sums of cash into sub-$10,000 amounts to avoid that reporting requirement is known as “structuring” and is illegal under the federal Bank Secrecy Act.
But many business owners engaged in perfectly legal activities may be unaware of the law. Others are covered by insurance policies that don’t cover cash losses greater than $10,000. Still others simply want to avoid extra paperwork, and keep their deposits less than $10,000 on the advice of bank employees or colleagues.
Under the Act, structuring IS technically a crime, but the reporting requirements were enacted to detect serious criminal activity – including terrorist activities, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
They “were not put in place just so that the Government could enforce the reporting requirements,” as the IG’s report explains.
But the IRS didn’t let that stop them. The agency pursued hundreds of cases from 2012 to 2015 on suspicion of structuring, but with no indications of connections to any criminal activity. Simply depositing cash in sums of less than $10,000 was all that it took to arouse agents’ suspicions, leading to the eventual seizure and forfeiture of millions of dollars in cash from people not otherwise suspected of criminal activity.
The inspector general found money seized and forfeited by the IRS was legally obtained in 91 percent of a sample of 278 structuring investigations it reviewed occurring between fiscal years 2012 and 2014. Altogether, those funds totaled $17.1 million and involved 231 cases.
The investigation was launched in 2014 after lawsuits and research by the Institute for Justice (IJ), including its report Seize First, Question Later, which is cited by TIGTA, helped bring the abuses to the public’s attention.
The investigation also found, reports IJ:
- Department of Justice attorneys working with the IRS encouraged “quick hits,” where property was easier to seize, “rather than pursuing cases with other criminal activity (such as drug trafficking and money laundering), which are more time-consuming”;
- “The Government appeared to bargain non-prosecution to resolve the civil forfeiture case[s]”;
- Investigators often ignored reasonable explanations for transactions that appeared to fit a pattern of structuring.
IJ Attorney Robert Everett Johnson issued a statement in response to the report, and some details he points out are particularly concerning:
The IRS gave no warning prior to these seizures, and the IRS did not speak to property owners to see if there might be some honest explanation for the pattern. Shockingly, even when property owners provided an innocent explanation for their banking practices following the seizures, the IRS watchdog found that the agency did not even consider whether it might be true. That disregard for the pursuit of justice is the unfortunate but unsurprising result of civil forfeiture’s profit incentive, which allows agencies like the IRS to use money that they seize to fund their budgets.
The IRS and the DOJ have returned some money to some victims, but until all of the ill-gotten assets are returned to their proper owners, justice will not be served, says IJ.
It is unclear whether structuring forfeiture cases make up a small or large percentage of all IRS forfeitures, because the IRS does not publish that information and denied requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act to make it public.
The findings of the TIGTA audit were released shortly after another government corruption bombshell was revealed: The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized $3.2 billion in cash over a 10-year period from people who were never under criminal investigation.
Last I heard this practice was coming to a halt..probably because of the new administration. We’ll see.
Jim, they better stop the practice for THEIR OWN SAKES. Let some IRS goons start getting killed trying to play ‘shakedown’ on someone will be what’s necessary for them to back off.
That isn’t going to happen, if it was going to happen it would already have happened.
Eh,folks have fought to the death,Joe Stack and his airplane just one example.As times get tougher and folks have nothing to lose and everything to gain do see more folks just going to say the hell with it and get their pound of flesh before exiting this life.We have a much larger problem with civil forfeiture through thievery in police depts ect.Again,they take all you have with no trial or even criminal charges being filed,well,some folks just going to say “Fuck it”.I will not feel any sympathy for those who suffer attacks due to this illegal activity buy our own govt. at all levels.
Warchild, I’ve already had the same position toward forfeiture that you mentioned long before I ever came to this site but I DO sympathize with anyone who’s been ripped off by a cop. No one is allowed to forcible take anything from me and if they try it, they die, plain and simple.
I really cannot believe this garbage happens. It is wrong on all levels and goes against everything this shitty country is supposed to stand for but I guess those days are long, long gone. All I can say is if it happened to me…it would probably make the news, enough said.
They don’t care about lives they destroy by stealing peoples’ assets… all they care about is money– greed. For some people, who are already real poor, barely surviving, it can be devastating to have their important property/cars stolen. And the cost of housing, also, is destroying some people’s lives– people charging outlandish prices for a room to ren!! Like buying a house– so costly and full of red tape. Some people choose to detach from the system– living in tents because of the sickening corruption. That’s why war is coming to America– the system here is FETID with corruption!! 🙁
IRS, the largest thieves out there robbing Americans blind besides the Federal Reserve which devalues the dollar. The US Governments wants to keep us all broke and defenseless so we cannot off up any resistance.
Stock up on lots of Rope to hang all of them.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go get’m big man.
“We are the government. We are here to help you.”
Of course you can trust YOUR government. Ask any Native American.
USA government will get you and your families NUKED.
The Politicians are ALL bought off, self serving, delusional, greed filled, liars, psychopaths. Just like their helpful little brother, the USA media.
Act accordingly. Get squared away. Mentally, emotionally, physically.
I would also put in serious prayer time. Divine intervention required by Lord of Jesus Christ.
NWO Communist literally worship Lucifer. Clintons and Obama are eligible for gold watch for faithful service to the Devil.
Yeah, right, Jim!! Like the new administration was going to make friends with Russia, not get involved in Syria, etc. ALL they know how to do is lie!!!
MEANWHILE AS YOU ARE FOCUSED ON TAXES
THERE WAS YET ANOTHER MUSLIM ATTACK IN STOCKHOLM TODAY
FOUR PEOPLE DIED
STICK YOUR FUCKING HEADS IN THE SAND
PRETEND THAT RACE DOESNT MATTER
IT’S “NOT PROFESSIONAL” TO TALK ABOUT RACE?
YOU CANT IGNORE THE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING REALITY
If you allow a rattlesnake into your home. Then you proceed to allow a rattler to sleep in you bed. You are surprised that you get bit? Really?
A rattler does as a rattler does. Nature of the animal.
Same as Savages wearing dirty nightshirts that worship Pagan Men.
You are surprised that violent savages in dirty nightshirts act like violent savages?
Read their “Bible, Koran”. “Convert by the word of Muhamad or convert by the sword.”
What? That is not clear to you? They are DANGEROUS RATTLERS. NEVER to be trusted. Never to be allowed into your country. NONE of them.
I do not allow rattlers on my place. NEVER.
Everyone gets a chance. First time I move them off my place.
If I see the rattler again… I chop his F@&king HEAD OFF with a shovel. Zero hesitation.
I keep my family, dogs, and Livestock Safe. I will personally deal with extreme predjudice ANYONE or ANYTHING that endangers my Home, Children, Dogs, Livestock. I have never called 911.
I AM HOMELAND SECURITY. YOU are HomeLand Security.
Are we clear? Yes I am well heeled. ALWAYS. 24/7 365. So should you.
(Except HCKS. He gets too excited. Just kidding HCKS.. kind of? We love you. Be chill. Frosty. Head on a swivel.)
Some other people have said:
-Shoot Mexicans coming across our border illegally.
-Shoot Chinese coming across illegally.
-Shoot ALL MUSLIMS that are TRESPASSING into our nation.
DO you think these peoples viewpoint is reasonable?
Some others would say:
“You either get them or they get you. Muslims are RATTLERS”.
Do Not be deluded. Rag heads are DANGEROUS. Keep them OUT of America.
Mexican drug cartels are Dangerous. Hunt them down with a shovel.
What do you say?
Obama LEFT our American Borders WIDE OPEN for EIGHT VERY LONG YEARS.
Wide Open. What do you think about that? Isn’t that TREASON?
If America is attacked POLITICIANS MADE-ALLOWED it to happen.
Politicians WANTED it to happen. They ALLOWED enemies in.
If you don’t want to get bit by a rattler, relocate him, THEN keep a honed shovel handy upon his return.
+SECURE AMERICAN BORDERS.
+Leave Syria ALONE. NO WAR. NO WAR. NO WAR.
+Leave Russia alone. Make PEACE. Have Respect.
+Ignore North Korea. If they get stupid. Destroy them.
+Ignore Iran. If they get stupid. Destroy them.
Stop these Politicians from starting WW3. Nuclear devastation.
Heel yourselves gentleman. Might get rough.
What do you say?
My question is why is the IRS doing this? The
people running the IRS and the peons working there would have no motive to do this. They’re not getting any of the money. Is our federal government so broke that they need to steal from the American people? Does the government instruct the workers to do this? The government is the biggest criminal organization there is. And they expect us to go to fight wars for them to get rich off of. The end of all this is coming soon. It must take place, so Jesus Christ’s second coming can take place. Then the people of earth can be ruled by a just and fair ruler. And most important, so the evil ones can be destroyed once and for always.
career brownie points
I don’t play the “shakedown” game. Anyone who tries that on me will just lose their life. I don’t have any obligation to play that game.
Seems like the real answer is to stay out of banks. There are alternatives: coins, gold, silver. However, businesses use legal US tender in their daily activities.
The IRS is not part of our government.
The Central Bank is not part of our government either.
The notes (dollar bills) printed by the illegally formed private bank of the Rothschilds uses the IRS to collect it’s counterfeit currency ( only coin is legal ). Most of the IRS ‘s take goes to the Druid Queen of England. We are just a corporation now. And we are still subjects of the throne in England which is currently under the control of the Rothschild Banking Cartel and a family of Royal’s who are out of Germany and really just descendants of the House of Dan, more of THEM. So, you expect Luceferians to be nice. LOL
Acid/Eisenkrautz is right. Race matters. Stop White Genocide. Money is the root of all evil.
__
Oh my, did you call the queen of England a druid? I thought she was a WASP that you
could be proud of. Oh, but she answers to the House of Rothschild. So complex…….
Anyone that worships money is a Luciferian. I’m sure you live in a lilly white place.
Nothing wrong with that. Where can a WASP’y old white guy move to if he is thoroughly
disturbed by white genocide. How about Switzerland? You could have paradise in your
Golden Years. Move to Austria or Switzerland. Yeah. Thats the ticket. The United States
was never a white place. The natives viewed your forefathers as terrorists and insects.
B from CA. The chews greatest enemy is the TRUTH. They hate when their scams are exposed. They have zero integrity. Worst of the worst of humanity. USS LIBERTY, BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING, 911 And the Twin Towers insurance claims for a tidy profit of $5 Billion. Look it up. Their crimes and false flags are so obvious. The 5 dancing videographers from the land of Parasites is plenty proof for me and many millions who are awake. And you will never see another chew call out their fellow chews for their crimes. Yep all the same cloth as thwy turn a blind eye. Their only loyalty is to their cult and profit.
My comment was censored.
••••• ?
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B from A
your comments should be censored !!!
every damn day you moron
all you do is cry and carry on about the ” CHEWS” every topic every day whine whine whine its those darn “CHEWS ” if only we could get rid of them
what was it that has made you such a damn pest ?? did some Jewish kid move into your neighborhood and have more then you did ??.
or were you just not invited to the cool kids parties and had to stay home with your mommy?
jesus i swear your just another stupid hater and cry baby.
so tell us all B from A what was the point in your miserable little life that made you such a damn little p*%%y.
i bet your family came from Palestine and your not even an American citizen.
grow up get a real job and get out of your mothers basement and read the damn rules jerk
Racism, to include any religious affiliation, will not be tolerated on this site, this is right below
B from CA is 100% Correct, and Travon skittles Unicorn is a fraud.
Hermes/ Zeuss / Apollo- whatever Greek deity you call yourself today. Your anti-Semitic
bullcrap is getting very old. Everything is a Zionist plot with you. The Zionists control
everything or so you say. Take your sorry Grand Wizard ass somewhere else. Many of the
trailer dwelling dirtbillies on this site never met a Jew in their stinking lives. Yeah, the
Rothschilds are evil and manipulating scum but not every Jew is a Rothschild. They are not
responsible for all the worlds problems as you seem to think. There are legions of nasty
gentiles out there as well. Why don’t you start your own white supremacist pepper site.
I WILL BLESS THOSE THAT BLESS THEE AND CURSE THOSE THAT CURSE THEE. GOD
Every time America stabs Israel in the back, our blessings get diminished. Take a good look
at how screwed this nation became after 8 years of Obama’s anti-Semitic ass.
Darn strait most all of Americas problems are the cause from the kike parasites that infiltrate our society, shores and government. The money changers, foreign policy that bankrupt our great country. The land thieves squatters need to be destroyed forever. Rat basturdss. Scum sucking blodsucking parasites. All trash.
Hermes is 100% correct. Annon is a coward. Show your coward face. Your rant us baseless drooling drivil. We all know (((Who))) is to blame. Annon is a paid spammer trying to convince the sheep the parasites love us as they suck America dry.. Weve been onto your zionist scam for decades. Cant pull the WOOL over our eyes.
Ya got that all wrong. Everytime Israhell stabs America in the back our blessings are diminished. Your religious babble is a crock of crap. Brainwashed dope.
Looks like Hermes just morphed into Eros. Is Afrodite next?
anonymous, you must be new here among the hundred others with the name.
B from Ca and Them Guys have well documented those people’s crimes against humanity. The story of the USS Liberty goes back a ways and is accompanied by numerous other false flag attacks by Israel and their paid operatives. They have stabbed us in the back, literally.
When you’ve stolen trillions from us, the US taxpayer, you have unlimited power. It becomes more than just money. It’s power that is more addictive.
You have a ways to go. Stay here and also spend some time on zero hedge. Read about who controls the world.
Israel paid MILLIONS and officially apologized to the US for the USS Liberty tragedy.
They had absolutely nothing to gain from what happened, so why it is called a
“false flag” defies logic. Yes, Israel has a powerful lobby in Washington to serve its own
interests, as does every other country on the planet. Your rank and file Israelis are not the
boogieman. We do not have many “friends” in that part of the world ( for obvious reasons ).
As for ” those peoples crimes against humanity “, do you think America is unblemished from its inception? You bring up the subject of who really controls the world. There are
manipulators on many fronts and they are all in it to win. Its good that you get your info
from many different alt-media outlets. The bloggers all seem to be so enlightened because
they claim to connect the dots with the major players and institutions of the world.
The stakes are high for all nations and every side is out to get theirs. Thats just life.
I get my information and sources from many of the same sources as you do. And then some. Much of it is true. Much of it is also exaggerated. There are no good guys.
point taken. “There are no good guys.” Sums it up.
(did you see the picture of the IMF meeting on ZH about going cashless?)
most of that crap you spew called religious dogma was written/instigated by the very ones it claims are chosen .
get the hell off this site and do some research . everything wrong with this planet can be traced back to the ” chews ” and religion !
at least we know they will spend the money wisely…..PPFFFFFFTT!
END POLICING FOR PROFIT Sign the petition to end policing for profit!
https://ij.org/endpolicingforprofit
Check out the laws in your state. Russ Caswell and his family nearly had their family-operated motel taken from them by local and federal law enforcement officials through civil forfeiture. Imagine you own a million-dollar piece of property free and clear, but then law enforcement agents announce that they are going to take it from you, not compensate you one dime, and then use the money they get from selling your land to pad their budgets—all this even though you have never so much as been accused of a crime, let alone convicted of one.
http://www.freedomworks.org/…/civil-asset-forfeiture-changing-way-police-police
http://www.campaignforliberty.org/petitions/stop-policing-for-profit-in-georgia/
https://action.aclu.org/policing-for-profit
endforfeiture.com/philadelphia-forfeiture/
https://www.ij.org/endpolicingforprofit-2
August 7, 2015 Hinga Auto Repair Hinga Mbogo immigrated to Dallas from Kenya to live the American dream—but Dallas officials had other plans for him.
City officials are demanding that Hinga stop repairing cars at his popular shop, Hinga’s Automotive Company, because it doesn’t fit in with their plans to reimagine the up-and-coming neighborhood.
https://www.ij.org/dallas-puts-the-brakes-on-hard-working-mechanic
Apr 25, 2016 Police Take $53k from Christian Orphanage & Refugees
A group of Karen Christians from Burma and Thailand have partnered with the Institute for Justice (IJ) to challenge the civil forfeiture of more than $53,000 by Muskogee County. The seized assets included cash donations made to a Thai orphanage and funds being raised for a nonprofit Christian school in Burma by the Klo & Kweh Music Team, a Burmese Christian rock band on a five-month tour of Karen churches across the U.S.
https://youtu.be/C_1t_8buFzw
This is true, and the Thai church fought and won their money back. I think they only won because of the high profile media coverage which made Muskogee DA’s office look very bad. If a person can prove where their money came from to the police there should be no problem. When I take money out of my bank I be sure I keep my receipt on my person. Some people think if you have $600.00 on you, that must be drug money. This amount of money is nothing when wages and cost are so high these days. To have a couple of thousand dollars own you does not mean drug money. I’ve had alot more than that on my person when buying a used car. This could also be another way of making a cashless society. We all know the government has been overstepping it’s authority for years, and gets worse as time goes on. It’s past time to rein in the government, but afraid it has gone too far to do that now without a constitutionally backed patriotic war with TPTB. I live in Muskogee county and I know how things work here with the “good ole boy” attitude, and “who” you know. I’ve always said a cop is nothing but a thug in a uniform. I’ve had my times filing court papers just to make the legal system do their job. They don’t want to actually enforce the laws that exist because there’s no money in it for them. They concentrate on drug money because it’s more lucrative for them, and to hell with other lawbreakers.
This is a checklist I share with folks for starters.
May 6, 2016 How Much Liberty Do Americans Have Left?
This post explains the liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution – and provides a scorecard on the extent of the loss of each right.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/how-much-liberty-do-americans-have-left/5524450
Agent76, I don’t care what anyone’s law says. Civil asset forfeiture is theft by law enforcement and/or the judiciary. No one has any obligation to go along with it. If it means fighting someone trying to steal from you, then so be it. It’s only one more reason the public no longer trusts law enforcement. No one forcibly takes anything from me. I don’t care who you are.
This is what more folks need to to know for one thing. Help break the chains of slavery Braveheart! June 16, 2016 Supreme Court Ruling: Police Have No Duty to Protect the General Public
However, did you know that the government, and specifically law enforcement, does not have any duty to protect the general public? Based on the headline and this information, you might assume this is a new, landmark decision. However, it has long been the court’s stance that, essentially, the American people are responsible for taking case of their own personal safety.
http://tribunist.com/news/supreme-court-ruling-police-have-no-duty-to-protect-the-general-public/
Aug 21, 2016 Just Say No: Don’t Federalize Local Police!
Some people want you to think that the solution to problems with police is to get the federal government more involved. But they’ve got things completely backwards.
https://youtu.be/H0euUoxPIp8
Agent76, I’ve known that fact for at least 2 decades. This is only the UMPTEENTH time that SCOTUS has made that ruling. The supreme courts of all 50 states have said the same thing. When we, as individuals, get into situations with evildoers, we are truly on our own and have to become our own ‘FIRST RESPONDERS’. I’ll do whatever I consider necessary to get out of such a situation alive and don’t care what anyone’s law says about it.
One of these days they’ll ride their ponies up to the wrong place and they’ll end up like Custer.
Ever been audited by the IRS? I have, they will spend thousands of dollars to collect nickels.
They are clueless about “The Point of Diminishing Return” But they don’t care none of its their money they are spending.
Dept of ED is the other predator US Agency that needs to be dissolved besides the IRS.
Civil asset forfeiture was originally about taking the cars of suburban drug buyers and johns of prostitutes, that went into the slums for sex and drugs.
Now the concept is abused to rob any citizen that has money in their pocket during an illegal police stop.
It’s just freaking criminal.
Theft, by the government, without warrant. Everyone knew it would come to this. The founding fathers warned us one and all.
PTPO, the concept of ‘civil asset forfeiture’ has no legitimate basis in anyone’s law. This is the biggest reason my 3 cousins who used to be cops bailed out, along with the militarization of their chosen line of work. They told me a lot of stories about corruption that came about because of the practice. The ‘war on drugs’ was just a fabricated excuse. The only real accomplishment has been an increase in corruption in law enforcement and the judiciary. Now we have the to view LE and the judiciary in the same light as common criminals, illegal aliens, gangs, etc. It’s eventually going to turn into a war between the system and the people. Cops complain there’s a war against them now? If they don’t stop their crimes and abuse against the people, then they’ll find out what a REAL war is all about.
I don’t care what the original reason for CAF was…
No one in the US is supposed to be denied life, liberty, or property without due process of law (part of 5th Amendment)
It is such a gross and obvious violation of this Right (and other parts of the Constitution) I don’t care what some Court has said about CAF being OK.
It isn’t and never will be…
Oh, Traffic enforcement by your local Police is just a step removed from CAF.
Especially, city/town police enforcing Traffic Laws on the Interstate that by an accident of geography happens to pass through their jurisdiction.
Nobody (almost) from the city is riding on that interstate. The drivers are not affecting the citizens of the city in any way.
It is all about Revenue. In fact, that’s what I call them all now…
Revenooers
<bb
let’s see, if you and I start doing a little “extracurricular” civil forfeiture, what the “authorities” would do. They would arrest and prosecute us because that would be a crime. Since when has the government actually been above the law, as opposed to simply ‘thinking’ they were?
civil forfeiture has zero basis in any law.
Where is the communist aclu on this?
Where is any law firm on this?
This was first instituted in 1827, so,
NOT constitutional in any way.
This is creates a crisis condition that will induce martial law.
Whether intentionally or otherwise (yeah, right),
There is no representation of the People of the united states when the executives circumvent the law for any purpose.
The biggest plum for the taking are the retirement funds. Bank accounts are nice but they are as a hostess twinkie compared to a huge cherry cheesecake in comparision to retirement accounts. Other than the slow drain of inflation on the real value of these funds, what is the Government planning?
That is something that scares me. I don’t have much but when I read news stories (if they can be believed), it seems I have a little more than many. I’m no where close to owning a million; only enough to not be a burden. There won’t be any fancy trips or retirement village in my future; just enough to get by and hopefully pay whatever needs arise. And maybe a little quilting (or an embroidery kit), a few seeds for the garden, etc.–nothing exotic for sure.
There needs to be a BLANKET FREEZE (could be done by Executive Order, I am sure) on Asset forfeiture for ALL AGENCIES.
See also US CONSTITUTION Amendment 4…But that is a moot point in todays America anyway. The Constitution isn’t being enforced or abided by anyway, what the point of the meaning charade aside from it allows people to sleep at night thinking they actually have laws anymore in the USA, just ones arbitrarily enforced on 98% of us to poor to matter.