BEVERLY HILLS—The Los Angeles Times first reported on Thursday, September 22, that the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI managed to mislead a judge who issued a warrant for a raid on a safety deposit business located in Beverly Hills.
During the raid officials obtained $86 million in cash and millions more in other assets seized. The FBI argued that the seizure of the items were justified because they were linked to unknown crimes.
According to court filings revealed by the Los Angeles Times agents defied a judge’s restrictions in the warrant by searching through box holders’ belongings for evidence of crimes.
Agents searched some 800 safety deposit boxes rented by ordinary people, taking cash, jewelry and $1.3 million in poker chips. They photographed password lists, credit cards, a prenuptial agreement, immigration and vaccination records, bank statements, heirlooms and a will, and in one box, cremated human remains.
A senior FBI agent testified in court that central to the plan and not disclosed to the judge, was the permanent confiscation of the contents of every box that contained at least $5,000 in cash or goods, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Both the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office announced that they deny all of the allegations.
