People v. $497,590 United States Currency

In this forfeiture action we are asked to decide whether substantial evidence demonstrates a nexus between the funds seized at a private home and narcotics transactions in order to justify forfeiture of the funds. We conclude several circumstances in combination are more than enough to establish the required nexus and thus affirm.

Facts and Proceedings Below

The trial court heard this case on the following stipulated facts. As the result of a large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering investigation that began in August of 1992 and continued through January of 1994, and involving both federal and local police agencies, police determined a local Los Angeles business, Sam’s Travel & Telecommunications, was being used to send huge amounts of illegal drug-trafficking proceeds to Colombia, South America. As a result of that investigation, two owners of the business were indicted in August of 1994 and thereafter pleaded guilty to drug money laundering charges in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

During the course of this investigation, officers on June 30, 1993, observed two Hispanic persons, a male and female, conducting some…