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Man Sues Police Department For Taking Cash

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Posted: Fri 11:07 PM, May 18, 2007

An elderly man is suing the Richmond Police department after he was arrested and thousands of dollars of cash was confiscated from his car. When officers pulled Otto Wilhite over they claimed he was swerving. The 72 year old says it was because he is black and was behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz.

When the officers asked Wilhite if they could search his car, he says he refused. But police did anyway and didn't turn up anything illegal. What they did find was $16,000 in cash. Money Wilhite says he needed to buy a car from a woman in Madison County.
When the cash was processed police recorded only 12 thousand dollars. They also processed a bag of marijuana, which, according to the complaint, the officer " found in the back of his cruiser" and "claimed that perhaps it belonged Wilhite."
Wilhite was charged with marijuana possesion, but all of the charges were dismissed with prejudice.
After the ruling, Wilhite tried to get back his money, he couldn't because the city turned it over to the DEA.
No one from the city of Richmond or the police would comment on the case. An attorney for the city says the case is a federal case and Wilhite should take up with the DEA.


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