July 18, 2013
Criminal Enterprise Operations of
the Police
Dave Hodges
After moving to the border state of Arizona, I learned quickly that it
isn’t prudent to drive a car into Mexico because the Federal Police like
to pull over “American-looking” tourists and shake them down for
cash (yes, Virgina, the Mexican national police force does
profile).
The practice of Mexican police harassing traveling Americans for their
cash is so prevalent, most insurance companies require a special rider on
one’s insurance policy before covering a car trip into Mexico.
I used to think that this abuse of traveling Americans was just a
“Federal Police” problem and could never happen here. However, as I
opened both of my eyes and saw the big picture, I realized that American
law enforcement was doing the same thing and that the American officers
were much more efficient at theft by cop than are the Mexicans. While a
Mexican Federal Policeman might shakedown a tourist for $50 in cash, the
American officials are more adept at stealing houses, businesses and
large amounts of cash even when the cash is not connected to a crime.
What Is RICO?
The game in America is called theft by law
enforcement and RICO is the name. Much of the growth of federal criminal
procedures has been tied to the expanded use of RICO. RICO stands for the
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970. RICO has
succeeded in blurring the lines between state and federal law enforcement
and in overturning the protections inherent in the due-process guarantees
of the U.S. Constitution, namely due process. The Fifth Amendment states
that government cannot deprive citizens of life, liberty and property
without due process of law. As the Patriot Act negates the Fourth
Amendment protections, RICO does the same with the Fifth Amendment due
process rights.
RICO is essentially the seizure of good and assets obtained as a result
of ACCUSED criminal activity. At the inception of RICO in 1990, there
were only three named federal criminal acts subject RICO confiscation of
assets and they were treason, piracy, and counterfeiting. Now there are
literally thousands of federal laws and regulations related to RICO. The
mere violation of any one of them, no matter how unintentional and
harmless the transgression, can lead to years of imprisonment for the
convicted person and the forfeiture of all personal assets.
Here is where the police and federal law enforcement are no better than
the criminals they purport to fight. Even when an individual is not
charged or found innocent, their confiscated assets are still the
property of the law enforcement agency. If a person is found not guilty
in court, or the charges are dropped, the person can spend years trying
to recover their assets. And sometimes, they never recover their stolen
property.
Gangster Cops in Meridian MS.
During a July 9 traffic stop in Meridian, Mississippi, police found
$360,000 tucked away in an obscure compartment of a man’s car. Certainly
the amount of money in question would get our collective attention,
however, the driver was let go. And if the Meridian city government has a
problem with large amounts of cash, then pass a law forbidding the
carrying of cash over a certain amount. Until then, this man committed no
crime.
The cops simply stole the man’s money. The unidentified motorist
may or may not get that cash back.
Under RICO all cops can seize your property, and it’s up to you to prove
that the money isn’t connected to a crime. This is an obvious violation
of the Fifth Amendment which requires the government to prove in court
that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This application of RICO is unconstitutional on its face and it is still
being allowed. Why? Because RICO money is being used by the law
enforcement agencies to enrich their department as well as to host lavish
department/agency parties. This is no different than what the Mafia or
the Mexican Federal Police does.
Your Property Is Not Safe
For those who think that the Meridian, MS.
motorist got what he deserved because nobody should be carrying that kind
of cash on them, consider the Russell Caswell case which demonstrates
that, under RICO statutes, one can lose everything even when they have
never been suspected of a crime.
Motel owner Russell Caswell, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, has
fought with government for three years over his right to keep his own
motel. Caswell has never been charged with a crime, yet he faces the loss
of his business.
Caswell, having successfully managed to keep his property, is
the victim of guilt by association. From 1994 to 2008, police have made
15 drug busts at his motel. That come to only one drug bust per year in a
motel. This is a remarkably low number. However, it is not stopping law
enforcement for trying to get their hands on the motel by stating that
under RICO, the motel is considered to be part of a criminal enterprise.
One does not have to be the owner of a motel or carry large amounts of
cash to be a victim of the law enforcement Mafia. If you give a ride to
someone who has marijuana in their possession, you can lose your car. If
your teenage daughter brings drugs into your house, you could lose your
house. This is no more than criminal theft committed by criminal law
enforcement agencies.
Motives for RICO Enforcement
The money that law enforcement seizes, is money
that goes towards the purchase of office equipment, new vehicles, larger
expense accounts and the list goes on. However, agency assets are not the
only destination for RICO obtained assets.
In a town of less than 3,000 people, in Bal Harbor, FL, police
spent more than $23,000 flying out to Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los
Angeles. While there, the police rented out Cadillac SRX and a Lincoln
Town car. Yet, other Bal Harbor police were also living it up as the
department spent $7,000 holding a banquet for police chiefs and $21,000
on an
“anti-drug beach bash.”
Sheriff Bill Smith in Camden County, Georgia,
spent $90,000 on a Dodge Viper for the county’s Drug Awareness and
Resistance Education (DARE) program. According to a sheriff’s spokesman,
“the whole point of this car is to grab the kids’ attention” and by
impressing kids, they would stay off of drugs. In the past two decades,
Bill Smith’s department brought in over
$20 million in asset forfeiture proceeds. The motive to arrest and
steal assets is quite clear.
In Romulus, MI., the police chief, Michael St. Andre,
spent more than $40,000 in asset forfeiture funds on marijuana, booze,
and prostitutes. In many of our communities, the ones with the badges
are the prostitutes. And this is not just a case of a few bad apples
spoiling the whole bunch. It would be difficult to find an agency or
department that is not experiencing RICO corruption.
Conclusion
Is there any element of government that is not
filled with corruption? Has becoming a public servant become synonymous
with massive corruption? If we cannot trust the police, then who could we
trust? I find it almost humorous that we are still debating whether
soldiers and police would fire on American people in a time of national
emergency? If they will steal us blind under these flimsy pretenses, then
are there any real limits placed upon their behavior?
If we want to RICO criminal organizations, then why are we not going
after the banks like HSBC and Goldman Sachs for money laundering and MERS
mortgage fraud?
There is no shortage of stories related to RICO abuse. The law itself is
an affront to the Constitution and all American citizens. Subsequently,
all RICO laws should be abolished.
http://thecommonsenseshow.com/2013/07/18/criminal-enterprise-operations-of-the-police/
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