Police Receive Forfeiture Money

— The Fayetteville Police Department received $93,636.47 from an Internal Revenue Service forfeiture on Wednesday.

Police Capt. Willam (Casey) Brown said the proceeds represent seizures conducted by the Financial Crimes Task Force in the western district of Arkansas.

The Fort Smith Police Department received $7,675. The money was allocated based on the work performed by each department in the case.

“We had an officer assigned to the IRS task force,” Brown said. “We get a portion of the forfeitures because our guy assisted.”

Brown said the money can be used for police training, equipment and vehicles.

The checks were presented to each department Wednesday by U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge and IRS Special Agent in Charge Christopher Henry.

“It is exciting to be a part of providing funds to these worthy agencies that work so hard to battle and prevent illegal financial activity and other crime in our area,” Eldridge said in a news release. “We appreciate the hard work of The Financial Crimes Task Force for the Western District of Arkansas in investigating the financial aspects of a wide variety of crimes and for seizing funds that are a part of criminal activity.”

Joyce Snow, U.S. Attorney’s Office assistant, said the seizure money came from a “structuring,” or money laundering investigation. No one was arrested.

“Anytime you have a person that tries to deposit more than $10,000 a time by making smaller transactions, they investigate that,” Snow said. “It’s when someone tries to evade having to explain large amounts of money.”

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