Wilson v. United States, No. 22-2087 (7th Cir. 2023)
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Wilson was traveling at O’Hare airport with $33,783 in cash. The Drug Enforcement Administration seized the money, suspecting that the proceeds were from illegal drug activity. DEA notified Wilson that it would declare the seized cash as government property by administrative forfeiture. Under the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act (CAFRA), 18 U.S.C. 983(a)(1)(A), Wilson had to file a “claim” with DEA by September 25, 2020. She received the required notice that failure to file a timely claim would waive her right to contest the forfeiture. On September 18, 2020, Wilson’s attorney mistakenly filed the wrong form, a “petition for remission,” which seeks to reduce the amount of seized money subject to forfeiture. Wilson’s attorney realized the mistake about five months later and sent a letter. DEA declined to correct the error.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Wilson’s Motion to Recover Seized Property under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g), which “is properly invoked to request the return of seized property before forfeiture proceedings have been initiated.” CAFRA is “the exclusive remedy for seeking to set aside a declaration of forfeiture.” Wilson did not assert any challenge to the notice she received from the DEA; her argument amounted to a request for equitable relief. Apart from challenges based on notice, “Congress has authorized no other means for challenging a declaration of forfeiture” in federal court.
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