(TargetLiberty.org) – In 2021, during a raid on a business in Beverly Hills, the FBI had violated the rights of private U.S. citizens by opening their safe deposit boxes and seizing all of the contents that were inside. According to the federal appeals court last week the FBI has argued that it was suspected that the business was involved in money laundering.
However, hundreds of the people who have had their life savings raided by the FBI, including Linda Martin are now on a quest to seek justice.
Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Rob Frommer, who has been the plaintiff’s representative during this case, has argued that this was a resounding victory not only for their client but also for hundreds of others who have suffered as a result of the actions of the FBI.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in their decision determined that the FBI had violated the Fourth Amendment rights of the holders of the private vaults who are protected under the Constitution from unreasonable searches and seizures. However, despite this protection, the FBI had opened and cataloged the content from around 1,400 safe deposit boxes that were found in the business without actually obtaining individual criminal warrants for each of the boxes.
The new decision reverses the 2022 lower court decision which had been in favor of the FBI and had noted that federal officials who were required to destroy the inventory records should not be charged with crimes.
Agents had seized around $86 million in cash from the boxes, as well as gold bars, silver, coins, jewelry, and other valuables.
Copyright 2024, TargetLiberty.org
