California Jewelry Business Sues Indiana Over Cash Seized at FedEx Facility
17th September 2024
In April, police inspectors at the Indianapolis FedEx distribution center seized a box containing nearly $43,000 in cash. Even though no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the package, it’s been in the government’s possession for about four months.
Now, the box’s intended recipient, Henry Minh Inc., is pursuing a class action lawsuit against the state of Indiana. The jewelry wholesale business consists of the husband-and-wife duo Henry and Minh Cheng.
Working with the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit focused on civil liberties, Henry Minh alleges a widespread pattern of unlawful package seizures at Indy’s FedEx processing facility.
Civil forfeiture started out as a way to get at drug dealers and other ‘organized criminals’ that normal law enforcement methods were unable to reach. It has since become a method for governments to confiscate people’s property without the bother of having to prove the commission of a crime.