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> At 1:30 pm on October 6, 2009, a dozen state and local police converged on Andre Nestor's split-level condo on a quiet, tree-lined street in Swissvale. He was
by colmvp 12y ago
> At 1:30 pm on October 6, 2009, a dozen state and local police converged on Andre Nestor's split-level condo on a quiet, tree-lined street in Swissvale. He was dozing on his living room couch when the banging started. “State police! Open up!” The battering ram hit the door seconds later, splintering the frame and admitting a flood of cops into the house.
> Nestor says he started toward the stairs, his hands over his head, when he came face-to-face with a trooper in full riot gear. “Get on the floor!” yelled the trooper, leveling his AR-15 at Nestor's face. Nestor complied. The cop ratcheted the handcuffs on Nestor's wrists, yanked him to his feet, and marched him into the kitchen.
That seems perfectly reasonable for a non-violent crime.
- discardorama 12y agoRead till the end. The government seized all his money, and even though he was acquitted (or never tried), they still kept it. And the IRS is after him too. If you go against the government, you almost never win, regardless of how innocent you are.
- bmmayer1 12y agoIt's even worse. He went after a casino, which is in cahoots with the government.
- JetSpiegel 12y agoI'll stick with rewatching Ocean's Eleven.
- rickdale 12y agoJohn Oliver did a great job explaining the problem this week on his show. Basically, Kane and Nestor might be innocent, but their money is on trial separately, as dumb as that sounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kEpZWGgJks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kEpZWGgJks
- kefs 12y agoIt's a great watch. Here's the WaPo article, and the local news investigation he discusses.. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/09/06/stop-and-seize/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/09/06/st... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU_nh51FU14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU_nh51FU14
- Erwin 12y agoYou end up with cases like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._$124,700_in_U.S._Currency http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._$124,700_in_U....
- rosser 12y agoMy favorite such lunacy remains "State of Texas v. One Gold Crucifix". [1] [1] https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22state%20of%20texas%20vs%20one%20gold%20crucifix%22 https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22state%20of%20...
- pyre 12y agoOfftopic, but from the second result, looks like TheWire is using Python (and is having issues with tuples): (u'The Booming Business of Civil Forfeitures',) - The Wire
- Thirdegree 12y agoMy personal favorite is "United states v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins". [1] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Approximately_64,695_Pounds_of_Shark_Fins http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Approximately_...
- lifeformed 12y agoUnited States v. Article Consisting of 50,000 Cardboard Boxes More or Less, Each Containing One Pair of Clacker Balls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Article_Consisting_of_50,000_Cardboard_Boxes_More_or_Less,_Each_Containing_One_Pair_of_Clacker_Balls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Article_Consis...
- grecy 12y agoWould he have any grounds to charge the government and/or the casino of theft? He won that money in a fashion deemed not-illegal, the IRS even says he legally won it and want to tax him for it, and then they took it off him. Sounds like theft to me.
- _ak 12y agoIf the Feds lose, they will wrap you in red tape until they win.
- justinator 12y agoYou need to sue to get it back. Even if the trial is acquitted. It's a major source of revenue for police. It's one reason why they're becoming more and more militarized. New Yorker Article: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/12/taken http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/12/taken
- psychometry 12y agoPolice departments actually get a lot of their military-grade equipment free from the federal government. After the military has given away their "obsolete" tanks to police departments, they can order new tanks from defense contractors. This makes the very rich, influential people at the top levels of the military-industrial complex even richer and more influential.
- justinator 12y agoNot quite free, but purchased using grants. It works out, that if they don't take the grants, they'll be in danger of losing funding in the future. These grants aren't just, "Here's a tank". It could be, "here's a tank, and medical equipment" In essence, their hand is forced to take the gift. There's been backlash about this. http://rt.com/usa/186788-police-weapons-military-grants/ http://rt.com/usa/186788-police-weapons-military-grants/ http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2014/08/23/obama-orders-review-arming-police-with-military-grade-tools/2fdn3Vf4LpQg8NVHi7zZjM/story.html http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2014/08/23/obama-orde...
- josu 12y agoAccording to the article, the government gave the money back to the casino: >Meadows still has his winnings
- CocaKoala 12y ago> And the IRS is after him too. The situation as a whole is pretty crappy, but this part actually makes sense. It was income, and it's taxable. I'm definitely not condoning the fact that the government seized it and hasn't returned it after the acquittal, but the IRS still wanting to tax him for it is expected behavior. Interestingly, it appears that (according to some very crude, preliminary research), the two men could probably claim their legal fees as deductions, which would lessen the tax burden a bit.
- discardorama 12y ago> It was income, and it's taxable. So let's say you are at a casino, and win $20K. It's reported to the IRS. As you're driving home happily whistling away, the police pull you over for illegal "whistling while driving". They find the $20K, and under the Civil Asset Forfeiture law (mentioned above), seize the $20K. Now how are you supposed to pay the taxes? You don't even have the money anymore!
- CocaKoala 12y agoI'm waiting for the part where you explain how this is something the IRS is supposed to resolve or care about.
- trhway 12y agohe should have paid taxes immediately upon getting the money. That way IRS would be forced to return money to the casino too. That would be a show to watch :)
- acheron 12y agoGovernment is just a word for things we do together. /s
- ryanpardieck 12y agoIf the reporting is accurate, then he really got screwed. Your money is taken despite your never being convicted of anything, and then the IRS taxes you for that money that was taken. What a joke.
- thornofmight 12y agoDoes anyone know how they justify this type of violent entrance for a non-violent offender?
- mikeash 12y agoYou never know, he might grab a gun and start shooting if you give him a chance. Not saying it's right, but I think that's the reasoning.
- scott_karana 12y agoAnd that's why all police officers are already armed with pistols. A no-knock warrant with holstered pistols would be entirely reasonable in a residential, non-violent crime conviction, don't you think? (Well, I would debate the no-knock part :)
- chc 12y agoMany nonviolent crimes are commonly associated with potential for violence. For example, selling meth is not a violent act, but betting that a meth dealer is a level-headed pacifist is not a very safe wager. (I am not really agreeing with the indiscriminate use of violence out there — just explaining the most logical rationale I've heard.)
- mcherm 12y agoThey don't justify it. They just do it.
- rasz_pl 12y agoRaging hardon from all the adrenaline gushing in while storming the castle playing G.I. Joes with people lives - thats the justification.
- tripzilch 12y ago> Does anyone know how they justify this type of violent entrance for a non-violent offender? With the stick.
- gexla 12y agoI'm sure that experience was the least of his problems. If it ended there, it might be a good story to tell. The legal headaches which followed were probably worse than a SWAT invasion.
- blahblah7777 12y agoThis is one reason why I never plan to even visit the U.S.