United States v. Nelson, No. 13-1902 (8th Cir. 2014)
Annotate this CaseClaimant appealed the the magistrate judge's order directing forfeiture of $48,100 seized pursuant to a traffic stop. Claimant contended that the evidence did not support the magistrate judge's conclusion that the currency was substantially connected to an intended drug transaction. The court concluded that the government failed to carry its burden to prove it more likely than not that claimant intended to use the seized currency in a planned drug transaction. Accordingly, the court reversed the order and remanded with directions to dismiss the action.
Court Description: Criminal Case - forfeiture. District court's grant of forfeiture of money seized pursuant to a traffic stop is reversed. Evidence did not support conclusion that currency was substantially connected to an intended drug transaction. The affirmative evidence could support either party's position, but the lack of affirmative evidence of an intended drug transaction shows that the government failed to carry its burden to prove it more likely than not that Nelson intended to use the seized currency in a planned drug transaction.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.