Pubdate: Sun, 20 May 2012
Source: Muskogee Daily Phoenix (OK)
Copyright: 2012 Muskogee Daily Phoenix
Contact:  http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3319
Author: Dylan Goforth

SEIZURE A WEAPON IN DRUG WAR, BOON TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

Seizure of $40K just latest in over $800K seized by sheriff's office
over last 3 years

Muskogee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeff Gragg says 80 percent of crime
leads to drugs in some way.

Gragg says best way to stop the illegal flow of drugs is on the
highway.

"Because what happens is the drugs come in on the highway and end up
in the smaller cities, and at that point it's almost too late," Gragg
said.

A state law allows law enforcement officers to seize money and
property suspected of being the fruits of illegal activity. The person
is given notice of the seizure and is allowed the opportunity to prove
it was not part of illegal activity.

Gragg made one such seizure Wednesday evening.

Gragg stopped a vehicle traveling on Interstate 40 between Webbers
Falls and Warner. He said the driver's story "made no sense."

When Gragg's K-9 alerted on the Laredo, he searched and found a box
under the passenger side seat carrying $40,980.

No drugs were found in the vehicle, though, and the driver was not
arrested. Gragg said if the driver can prove the money belongs to him,
he will be able to retrieve it.

"But based on my training and what I've learned and the stories he
gave me, it's obviously drug money," Gragg said.

The man likely had flown from California to Dallas, and taken drugs to
Springfield, Mo., Gragg said. The driver was stopped on his way back
to Dallas.

"That $40,000 was clearly his payment," Gragg said.

The $40,000 brings the three-year total of funds seized by the
sheriff's office to more than $800,000, Gragg said.

"The seized money is split with the (District Attorney's) office,"
Gragg said. "We use it for equipment and training and classes that get
to be really, really expensive."

The sheriff's office has used seized drug money to purchase five black
Chevrolet Tahoes in the last three years. Stickers on the back of the
vehicles state that fact.

Wednesday's seizure did not include drugs. Many highway interdiction
stops do get drugs out of the pipeline.

By the time the drugs are off the highway and into cities, it becomes
harder to make a big difference in the amount of drugs being moved,
Gragg said.

"If we make a stop on the highway, we can find these guys who are
taking big amounts of drugs into the area and put a stop to it by
getting felony convictions," Gragg said. "By the time it gets to the
cities, you're talking about getting misdemeanor convictions. You
can't stop it that way.

"Don't get me wrong, we need to be after in the city too, but highways
are the ways to make a big dent."
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