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, Virginia, 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 goods 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 to 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 comes 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.

Dave is an award winning psychology, statistics and research professor, a college basketball coach, a mental health counselor, a political activist and writer who has published dozens of editorials and articles in several publications such as Freedoms Phoenix, News With Views and The Arizona Republic.

The Common Sense Show features a wide variety of important topics that range from the loss of constitutional liberties, to the subsequent implementation of a police state under world governance, to exploring the limits of human potential. The primary purpose of The Common Sense Show is to provide Americans with the tools necessary to reclaim both our individual and national sovereignty.

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