The Institute for JusticeFor 27 years, brothers Jeffrey, Richard and Mitch Hirsch have owned Bi-County Distributors, Inc., a small business that distributes candy, snacks, and other goods to convenience stores throughout Long Island. On May 21, 2012, the federal government raided their bank account using civil forfeiture laws, taking $446,000 and putting the company into a tailspin and upending the Hirsch families’ lives.
Bi-County’s customers often pay in cash, which means the Hirsch brothers frequently make large deposits at their local bank. The federal government alleged that the brothers violated federal banking laws by “structuring” those cash deposits. Federal law requires banks to report cash transactions in excess of $10,000, and it is illegal to break up one’s cash deposits or withdrawals—or “structure” them—for the purpose of evading those reporting requirements.
With no serious investigation into Bi-County’s legitimate business purposes for making sub-$10,000 deposits, the government moved in and grabbed the money. Civil forfeiture laws allow the government to take property it merely suspects of being involved in crime. The government has never alleged that the seized money is the proceeds of any illegal activity or charged the Hirsch brothers with any crime.
Shockingly, in the two-and-a-half years since the seizure the government has not filed a civil forfeiture action in court—it has just sat on the money and refused to give it back. This total disregard of the Hirsch brothers’ due process rights means that they have never had a day in court to challenge the seizure and demonstrate their innocence.
Increasingly, the government is treating legitimate small business owners like the Hirsch brothers like criminals, just because they make frequent cash deposits. On October 27, 2014, the Hirsch family teamed up with the Institute for Justice to fight back in federal court. A victory for them will not only return their money, but will vindicate the right of every American to keep their property when they have done nothing wrong.
Anyone who has any significant amount of money in the bank these days is an idiot, and if it’s a half-million, you’re just begging to have it stolen by the feds.
I wouldn’t have a half million in Federal Reserve Notes anywhere, because it will only have a quarter million’s worth of buying power before I’d have time to spend it.
Yes, forfeiture laws suck, and they’re most definitely unconstitutional, but I have no sympathy for these idiots because I’m sure they were warned that the economy is on the brink of collapse, but brushed it off as “crazy conspiracy theory”, and remained loyal to the communists and their banking system. Screw ’em. Let ’em find out the hard way.
Thank you. You took the words right out of my mouth…..
But most people never hear nor see this kind of stuff; Apathy, or from simply watching MSM, so they never hear anything but what they’re supposed to believe is the truth. Stockholm Syndrome is a term being used a lot these days to describe the American sheep’s acquiescence to those in power; Endlessly lied to – yet endless belief the next lie is the truth.
“People are waking up”, I keep reading? Me thinks not.
And, once again, I think the greatest coup the CIA EVER pulled off was coining the term “conspiracy theory”.
It allows ANYONE in government, law, media, or power, to face the truth, utter two simple words….. and never have to answer another troubling question.
I’m with you; This HAS to happen, because these people BELIEVE whatever they’re told by the same people that continuously rob them.
“Stupidity is it’s own reward” ~ My dad.
~ Occams
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Which is why I refuse to be anything but a truth seeker and non-conformist–the label “conspiracy theorist” (even my son calls me that, and he should know I speak truth! Facetious?) is close to being a badger of honor… It’s the conformists I don’t have a whole lot of sympathy for, but if you have been a conformist your whole life it is hard to transition away from.