Back in the day, civil forfeiture was "the thing". It became a competition among offices to see who could enrich the government with the most forfeitures. Sometimes, a weak case was pursued with a conviction being of little concern when the target was found to have forfeitable assets of value. I do not know if the Service still follows this practice but at least one state has passed a law to end what was once an effective crime fighting tool only to morph into a revenue stream. It was unconstitutional then and remains so to this day. If The Service has abandoned this practice, then don't waste your time on the link. If it is still being practiced with vigor, then read on.

http://personalliberty.com/minnesota-en ... money-grab