logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Did Nevada police seize a military veteran’s money even though he was not charged with a crime?

By Todd Butterworth
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
YES

In 2021, retired U.S. Marine Stephen Lara drove through Nevada to visit his daughters in California. He was carrying his life savings in cash, nearly $87,000, intended for a down payment on a home. Police seized the money during a traffic stop and held it for months.

Carrying large amounts of money is legal, and Lara had ATM receipts for his cash. There was no evidence he had committed a crime, although police were suspicious of a single man making a one-way trip with so much money.

Nevada police contacted federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents and coordinated an “adoption” whereby state police use federal law to seize property. Lara was never charged with a crime and did not receive his money back until filing a lawsuit.

Lara’s case has been highlighted by advocates for forfeiture law reform. 

See a full discussion of this at The Nevada Independent
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Las Vegas Review-Journal Nevada troopers took nearly $87K from a retired Marine during a traffic stop
Washington Post A former Marine was pulled over for following a truck too closely. Police took nearly $87,000 of his cash.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs from The Nevada Independent
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.