Sheriff's Deputy With History Of Misconduct Attempts To Extort $50,000 From Pulled Over Motorist
from the sold-out-by-his-own-dash-cam dept
Even when law enforcement officers know a camera is watching, some still choose to abuse their power. This isn’t good news, especially as more law enforcement agencies are choosing to outfit their officers with cameras and mics (and allowing those officers to tamper, disable or break the equipment without consequence). The technology does have the potential to nudge both cops and citizens into more mutually respectful interactions, but this is being circumvented by officers who like cameras aimed at the public, but not so much at themselves.
In this case, lawyers were able to get ahold of dashcam footage revealing misconduct by a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy. This misconduct involved the abuse of asset forfeiture laws — laws many law enforcement agencies seem to feel gives them permission to seize anything for any reason.
One deputy in particular is being singled out for his practice of pressuring travelers to abandon their money or face losing their cars as well. The I-Team has obtained exclusive dash-cam video from one of these drug interdiction stops. While no drugs were found, that didn’t stop the deputy from grabbing the cash.
“How much money you got?” Humboldt County Deputy Lee Dove can be heard asking on the video.
The dash-cam video gives insight into what some say is a pattern of questionable drug interdiction stops by Deputy Dove along I-80 near Winnemucca in northern Nevada.
The out-of-state motorist was stopped for doing 78 mph in an 75 mph zone. Deputy Dove finds $50,000 cash and $10,000 in cashiers checks during a search of the car.
The driver, Tan Nguyen, maintained that he won the money in Las Vegas. Whether or not he did was something the deputy could have made an effort to ascertain, but instead he chose to go down the extortion route.
Deputy Dove: “Well, I’m gonna search that vehicle first, ok?”
Nguyen: “Hey, what’s the reason you’re searching my car?”
Deputy Dove: “Because I’m talking to you … well, no, I don’t have to explain that to you. I’m not going to explain that to you, but I am gonna put my drug dog on that (pointing to money). If my dog alerts, I’m seizing the money. You can try to get it back but you’re not.”
Nguyen: (inaudible) got it in Vegas.”
Deputy Dove: “Good luck proving it. Good luck proving it. You’ll burn it up in attorney fees before we give it back to you.”
But Deputy Dove never put his drug dog to work (itself a very iffy practice that often relies on an officer claiming the dog “alerted” when it was, in fact, reacting to stimulus from the officer). Instead, he offered a very shady “deal.” Nguyen was free to go if he turned over the cash. If not, Dove was going to seize the car and everything in it.
Dove has refused to speak about the incident, a decision at least partially guided by an ongoing investigation. The sheriff’s department has admitted that proper procedures were not followed in a number of seizures, but that admission came after the fact. At the time of the seizure, the sheriff’s office posted a photo of Dove with the cash, promoting the fact that the money would be used to help the sheriff’s office fight crime. (This being crime located outside of the Sheriff’s Department, apparently…)
But this statement seems to be little more than soothing words. Forfeitures are being filed at record rates in Humboldt County.
Twenty forfeiture cases — more than the previous four years combined — have been filed by the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office since March 14, the day the county announced settling two lawsuits over cash seizures that drew media scrutiny.
Of the 20 forfeiture cases filed since last month in Humboldt County District Court, more than four exceeded $10,000 and the majority were filed as a result of Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office traffic stops, the county clerk said.
This has prompted one lawyer to consider filing a class action lawsuit. More news of Deputy Dove’s pay-to-play “policy” has also surfaced as a result of Nguyen’s case.
The class-action lawsuit, yet to be filed as of Wednesday, says Trevor Paine of Wisconsin was stopped for allegedly speeding 84 mph in a 75 mph zone in November.
According to the complaint, Humboldt County Sheriff Sgt. Lee Dove “forcibly searched” the vehicle with a police K-9 because the dog acted as if there were drugs in the car. Dove failed to find drugs, but took $11,000 in cash from a lockbox, the complaint says.
So, there’s a clear pattern of abuse, and it looks as though the Sheriff is finally being forced to confront the issue. The bill for deputy misconduct was footed by the citizens, of course, which isn’t much of a deterrent for misbehaving officers and those who employ them. And if the number of seizures being filed is any indication, there’s a good chance the public will be footing the bill again in the near future.
Filed Under: cash, dash-cam, extortion, humboldt county, lee dove, police, seizure
Comments on “Sheriff's Deputy With History Of Misconduct Attempts To Extort $50,000 From Pulled Over Motorist”
And unofficial crime syndicates everywhere ask themselves: 'Why didn't we think of that?!'
Commit extortion without a badge?
Do not pass ‘Go’, do not collect $200, go straight to jail.
Commit extortion with a badge, and on camera?
Keep the money, keep the badge, use money to defend shake-downs and wait for the heat to die down, knowing no judge or state prosecutor has the guts or integrity to actually do anything.
Re: And unofficial crime syndicates everywhere ask themselves: 'Why didn't we think of that?!'
Judge Dredd approves it!
Re: Re: And unofficial crime syndicates everywhere ask themselves: 'Why didn't we think of that?!'
Dredd’s more honorable than this scum masquerading as a police officer.
Re: And unofficial crime syndicates everywhere ask themselves: 'Why didn't we think of that?!'
The government commits extortion every day. they call it taxation.
Highway robbery thugs.
The cop(s) need the book thrown at them…armed robbery, color of law, extortion, grand theft, etc. Personally, I’m for public execution of oath-breakers.
What the class-action suit should do is go after every jurisdiction with asset forfeiture, force them to return the stolen money with interest (go ahead and get it from the officer’s pensions) and remove the legal ability for government officials to ‘legally’ take other people’s properties again.
And the tech connection is?…
Re: Re:
it’s their blog. they can write what they want.
if you don’t like it, feel free to write your own articles on your own site.
Re: Re: Re:
It’s Mike Masnick’s blog and he’s paid to write articles that further the interests of tech companies. If Tim Cushing wants to write about his pathological hatred of the police, why doesn’t he start his own blog?
Re: Re: Re: Re:
…beeeeecause Mike has welcomed Tim to write about whatever he wants? Nice of you to defend Mike against his will, tho.
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Tim Cushing’s police-abuse articles appear to be highly popular among Techdirt readers. It’s his passion and he covers the subject quite well. It was, of course, an issue so important to the drafters of the US Constitution that they devoted a whole section to it. And when the authorities we trust to follow the Constitution instead violate it, it’s the right, if not the duty of each of us to fight such abuse any way we can. (even for people who live outside the US, since the policies and trends set here tend to trickle down to the rest of the world) Technology has made the situation far worse than it ever was, or ever could have been.
The difference between the people who live inside prison and the people who live outside prison is gradually diminishing, and not in a positive way. Complacency and indifference will serve to accelerate that trend.
Re: Re: Re: Re:
“his pathological hatred of corrupt police”
FTFY.
Unless you’re actually asserting that all police are corrupt, of course. I’ve never seen Tim write an article criticizing police that weren’t acting in a corrupt manner.
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:
He doesn’t write articles about the good things police do. Every day.
Which also happens to be the vast majority of interactions that occur with the hundreds of thousands of police officers that work in the United States.
Let’s not pretend Tim Cushing doesn’t have some sort of mental problem with the police. Because he quite obviously does.
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
“He doesn’t write articles about the good things police do.”
True, but irrelevant and meaningless.
“Because he quite obviously does.”
It’s not obvious at all. What is obvious to me, though, is that you do.
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
He doesn’t write articles about the good things police do. Every day.
What exactly do you think that proves?
Re: Re: Re:4 Re:
You’re confused.
I’m not trying to convince you, nasch, of anything. I steer random readers in the direction of what this blog’s true motives are. It’s assisted transparency. Then the comments from the regulars do the rest.
Re: Re: Re:5 Re:
You’re confused.
OK my mistake. I assumed you were thinking that statement of yours had some meaning or significance. Glad to see you are aware it doesn’t.
Re: Re: Re:3 Re:
He doesn’t write articles about the good things police do. Every day.
Probably because that would be utterly pointless. When things are working correctly, then who cares, there’s nothing to worry about, and nothing to report on.
When things break down however, when the system fails, when someone in power is abusing their authority, then there’s something to report on, and it’s important to bring such breakdowns and abuses to light so that they can be known, and hopefully fixed.
Let’s not pretend Tim Cushing doesn’t have some sort of mental problem with the police that abuse their power and authority. Because he quite obviously does.
Add a few words and I’d agree with you, though that’s not saying much, as other than corrupt thugs with badges, and perhaps a politician or two who can find use for their ‘talents’, I’m not sure who wouldn’t have a problem with police abusing their positions and authority.
There’s also authoritarians I suppose, those people who believe that anyone in a position of authority is automatically right and just by virtue of their position, but those bootlickers look up to anyone with power over them, not just the cops.
Re: Re: Re:2 Re:
Know how to find a corrupt cop? Call the police station. It doesn’t matter who answers.
Re: Re:
Once again…Dash Cam.
Re: Re:
The constant surveillance that we all hate can, sometimes, be used to defend the folks that are ‘under suspicion.’
Still you have to admire the cahones of a guy who knows he is being filmed to do such acts. It does not make them right, but wow, this guy has more confidence than a hooker at a Comic con.
Re: Re:
“And the tech connection is?…”
Well let’s have a look Mr Gumby.
1)”…exclusive dash-cam video from one…”
2)””How much money you got?” Humboldt County Deputy Lee Dove can be heard asking on the video.”
3)”The dash-cam video gives insight…”
4)”Nguyen: (inaudible) got it in Vegas.”” Here I’ll help you with this one…see that ‘(inaudible)’ part? That kind of infers that something was record onto stone tablets. No wait, maybe something..gasp tech! /playominousmusic4beatsonly
Re: Duh... Here is a clue
Well, for one, video recording.
Jeeze.
Property isn't a person
Property doesn’t have the same constitutional/judicial rights as a person, thus property is guilty until proven innocent — which gives LEO a lot of power to seize it without any worry of recourse.
Re: Property isn't a person
not according to the fourth amendment, which applies to a person and their property.
Re: Re: Property isn't a person
There is the question if the search was legal, thus the 4th would apply. But now the property was seized, it is deemed guilty of a crime until it is proven innocent of that crime. So, now it becomes the effort of the innocent person to prove his property is not guilty instead of the LEO proving the property (and said person) was involved in a crime.
Re: Re: Re: Property isn't a person
Heh, and I thought you were attempting humor.
Re: Re: Re: Property isn't a person
are you really suggesting that inanimate objects can be innocent or guilty of a crime? an inanimate object does nothing on its own. that is like saying a spoon makes you fat or a pencil misspells words. also the 4th amendment protects against SEIZURES of property as well.
Re: Re: Re:2 Property isn't a person
Corporations are people under the current law.
Re: Re: Property isn't a person
bullshit, this is just robbery hiding behind a badge.
Re: Re: Property isn't a person
Well, in reality, no property was seized… just some correspondence written by the US government — in the form of IOUs, and some more correspondence written by some bank — also in the form of IOUs.
If he’d actually confiscated the car etc. there’d be a case here.
Re: Property isn't a person
Hmmm… I wonder if he can invoke Citizens United and claim that his money is not property, but speech, and that his First Amendment rights are being violated.
Oh, that’s right; I forgot. Money is only speech for rich people. For everyone else it’s property.
Re: Re: Property isn't a person
Actually, the physical cash is and always will be owned by the Gov. Therefore, if it has cocaine residue on it, the federal gov is the biggest drug trafficker in the world and is forcing all of us to hold on to their stash.
Re: Re: Re: Property isn't a person
Actually, the physical cash is and always will be owned by the Gov.
Citation?
Intent to possess wealth while not being wealthy.
that was nothing more than road piracy
the badge is irrelevant here, the deputy is guilty of robbery and should do time accordingly.
Re: that was nothing more than road piracy
Robbery at gunpoint and impersonating a law officer.
Re: Re: that was nothing more than road piracy
It would be interesting if the driver pulled his legal concealed weapon and made a citizens arrest. Maybe even using the cops radio to call it in.
Re: Re: Re: that was nothing more than road piracy
It would be interesting if the driver pulled his legal concealed weapon and made a citizens arrest.
That would not end well. The driver would quite possibly end up full of holes, or at best serving a long prison sentence if he “won” the confrontation. I put “won” in quotes because there is absolutely no way the officer would stand down and submit to the arrest, so the only way for the citizen to prevail would be to actually shoot the cop.
Don't depend on Cops' dashcams, Make your own recordings
I use the App AutoGuard to record both video and frequent GPS pings. The video and the GPS pings are useful to counter assertions of possible (likely) lies cops state for stopping a car in the first place. The video and GPS data can be used in a motion to suppress evidence that they may use based on bullshit stop.
The app routinely discards the data, which is has little value outside of any incident.
The App has an auto upload feature but the upload is to YouTube. I don’t see any value in that, and I believe the GPS data would not be included. However, I would be interested in an automatic upload to a private and secure cloud locker. Security would be very important in preventing the data being used for possible self-incrimination purposes (the GPS data would establish speed).
As an aside, people should be aware that most cars have some version of a black box recorder (to be required in the future), the data from which can be used against you.
Complying with various evidence authentication requirements would also be a feature that AutoGuard should put some thought into.
In any case, at present, the publicity value of being able to catch cops in lies probably trumps the nitty gritty legal details.
Unfortunately, in some jurisdictions (thankfully not my state) you must be wary of two-party disclosure requirements for recordings where there may be an expectation of privacy. If such laws do apply I would not recommend verbal disclosure to a cop but instead would place a sticker on my bumper or back window of the car – something like “monitored by AutoGuard” – to counter any asserted expectation of privacy.
Re: Don't depend on Cops' dashcams, Make your own recordings
“expectation of privacy” will apply when a cop takes a leak or buys a cup of coffee. It’s perhaps so-and-so when a cop is on patrol duty. As soon as he swings into interaction as a cop with a citizen, we are not talking about anything protected by privacy from getting entered into evidence.
Re: Don't depend on Cops' dashcams, Make your own recordings
There is no legal expectation of privacy for an LEO interaction in a public space(like a traffic stop), so your worries about admissible evidence shouldn’t be there.
Doesn’t mean corrupt cops won’t try to fight against you on that, just means that they will lose.
If cop testifies video is wrong that he was only soliciting donations for the PBA the judge will disregard the video and release & the acquit the cop AND let him keep the money.Cops can do no wrong in the eyes of Judges!
This quote makes me angry
“Hey, what’s the reason you’re searching my car?”
“Because I’m talking to you … well, no, I don’t have to explain that to you.”
NEIN NEIN NEIN NEIN!
Hell, I would have called 911 and said that someone’s trying to rob me at gunpoint.
Re: This quote makes me angry
If you watch the full video, which is on youtube, you will see the officer will not let him use his phone. He says it’s an officer safety issue.
Re: Re: This quote makes me angry
Well, it is. That phone might have a gun hidden inside it!
Re: Re: Re: This quote makes me angry
Forget gun, he’s likely more worried about the ‘cop-killer’ camera it might have built in, or perhaps the lawyer it might put his mark in touch with.
Re: Re: Re: This quote makes me angry
That gives me an idea…
TV Trope
This is ripped from the back catalog of The Good Wife
http://doglawreporter.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-good-wife-2012-and-dragnet-1969.html
A dog’s nose is like 10000x stronger than yours, so the fact that our currency is contaminated is a sure win for the local enforcers
http://www.snopes.com/business/money/cocaine.asp
I live in this area and unfortunately these types of stories are VERY common. There isn’t much anyone is willing to do about it since it seems most of the victims are from out of state (not many people want to live here on a permanent basis).
We desparately need Batman on the case
If only Batman was real, he would sort out these corrupt cops and terrify the Dickens out of them as well.
“promoting the fact that the money would be used to help the sheriff’s office fight crime.”
So I can commit crimes all I like as long as I donate the money to charity? Awesome.
Re: Re:
More like donating the money to your employer, who pays your salary and gives out bonuses, promotions, or military weapons/vehicles in recognition of your contributions.
Standards/sauce for the goose
Those with access to the buttons,levers, and software of law making MUST be held to much higher accountability threshold than you or me. I favor a punishment of 25-life for even a minor, 1st offense, even “fixing” a ticket for buddies/families.
Oh, and asset forfeiture of homes, possessions, bank accounts, and the loss of being able to work in/around/for gov’t agencies for life.This should quickly weed out the wankers, psychopaths, and crooklyns.
Re: Standards/sauce for the goose
Do you REALLY want to live in a country of 350 million Americans where there are 5 cops who have to race from East to West Coast once a week solving crimes?
If you get rid of the corrupt cops that’s what’ll happen!
Re: Re: Standards/sauce for the goose
I think we have a good start on a spinoff series for “The Amazing Race”…
Hmm...
Applying the authorities’ logic to this:
1. This deputy’s actions seem criminal.
2. This deputy is part of a larger operation.
… so, obviously,
3. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department is a criminal enterprise.
… which of course means
4. Their assets are the proceeds of a criminal enterprise.
… and so we can logically conclude
5. We can take all the Sheriff Department’s money!
(That’s how it works, right?)
Re: Hmm...
Of course, you would be spoton if we lived in a sane world.
We do not.
Armed robbery plain and simple. The media is hesitant to report it, but citizens are already starting to fight back against police all over the country. It’s obvious that police (and anyone with a badge for that matter) are being encouraged to behave this way on a national level, so the question is why? Whatever the reason, too many police are enjoying being criminals themselves. When the straw finally does break, that shiny badge that protects them will quickly become a nice target. The Bundy incident shows what a few citizen snipers and others that refuse to accept corrupted “authority” can accomplish. Albuquerque is another one to watch.
Re: Re:
The Bundy incident shows what a few citizen snipers and others that refuse to accept corrupted “authority” can accomplish.
One, that remains to be seen, and two, I assume by “citizen snipers” you mean “men who confront cops by hiding behind their women”.
Re: Re: Re:
“I assume by “citizen snipers” you mean “men who confront cops by hiding behind their women”.”
No, like this guy, Eric Parker, a Bundy supporter who famously aimed his rifle at Federal (paramilitary) agents from between the cracks of concrete road partitions. It’s people like him who may have made the feds think twice before shooting the protesters they were aiming their guns at for hours.
http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/534db531eab8eacf1caab272-1200-924/bundy-ranch.jpg
Re: Re: Re: Re:
It’s people like him who may have made the feds think twice before shooting the protesters they were aiming their guns at for hours.
You think if it hadn’t been for him and the other guys with guns, the feds would have just massacred everyone there?
Re: Re:
Actually, there is an error in the article. It was the media, and not lawyers, who got this dash cam and released it to the public. And they had to fight the government to get it. Also, this site only knows about this incident because the media broke the story and has been all over it.
Consistency
Whether the costume consists of dark glasses and a hoodie or a cop-suit, armed robbery deserves the same reply.
You can thank the assholes at the Supreme Court for enabling seizures under in rem jurisdiction, and for allowing the use of drug dogs despite questionable reliability. Their myopia makes these kinds of abuses possible, and perhaps even legal.
Life in a crooked society
Laws that allow the seizure of assets are nothing more than an invitation for abuse and should be regarded as criminal under color of authority.
Unfortunately, the deck is stacked, or the courts, against basic elements of constitutional guarantees explicitly designed to prevent abuse of authority.
So, what is to be done, when looking at the barrel of a gun, that is pointed at you?
No fun in the sun, son.
Not today.
i suppose it was the accused persons fault for having all that cash in the car with him!!
Albuquerque
I’m glad to see that people are finally starting to fight back against the police state, as in Albuquerque, which made headlines yesterday when a city council meeting turned into a near-riot.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/albuquerque-city-council-meeting-descends-into-chaos/
Re: Albuquerque
You know it’s going to be a good city counsel meeting when someone brings a bullhorn.
Re: Re: Albuquerque
A bullhorn serves as an equalizer in a system where one side controls the microphone.
We need an organization to enforce the law...
Perhaps collect a little money from every citizen, to hire armed agents to protect our interests, and make sure our property isn’t stolen from us by OTHER armed individuals. The could patrol in cars, on the lookout from wrongdoing.
I vaguely remember it having been tried at one point. Whatever happened to that experiment?
Not Surprised.
These armed gang members have been doing this for years.
This story seems to imply that this cop was just “one bad apple” doing this and seizing money from people. The truth is that this is going on in many areas, carried out by many cops. Ever since the government cleared the way for property to be seized without a conviction or even charges being filed, local police departments have viewed it as an easy way to supplement their budgets.
""How much money you got?" Humboldt County Deputy Lee Dove can be heard asking on the video. "
PIGS. God Damn PIGS. This is a prime reason why covert encrypted audio recording via smartphone is so critical when interacting with so-called law enforcement officials. You never know whose law their trying to enforce. The Govs or their own. PIGS.
settlement funds
All settlement funds to pay for police misconduct of any sort should come out of Police Pension Funds not taxpayer money.
now, why would you think that?
this is govt by the people for the people?
Curupt shereifs
Who do you contact when the sheriff department harasses you and comits crimes against you