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Texas Police Accused of Robbery

Texas Police is currently part of a lawsuit intended by several motorists who are claiming the authorities abused of their position and robbed them.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, David Guillory characterized the policemen’s deed as a systematic fleecing of drivers passing through Tenaha, East Texas. "I believe it is a shakedown. I believe it's a piracy operation," Guillory told CNN.

In October 2007, Roderick Daniels was stopped and robbed by the police on US Highway 59 outside Tenaha, near the Louisiana state line. He claimed the police officers ordered him to pull over and give them his jewelry and the $8,500 cash he had on him (which he later wanted to use to buy a new car).

Daniels said they didn’t stop at that and the harassment continued. The policemen dragged him off to jail and threatened him that if he doesn’t sign the papers in which he forfeits his property, they will charge him of money-laundering.

"I actually thought this was a joke," Daniels said. “To be honest, I was five, six hundred miles from home. I was petrified." And so, he signed.

Tenaha’s mayor and police lawyers (representing District Attorney Lynda Russel) denied all charges and claimed the police officers were only following standard procedures. Texas law allows police to confiscate drug money and other personal property they believe are used in the commission of a crime.

If no charges are filed or the person is acquitted, the property has to be returned. Guillory claimed police didn’t bother to return much of the money and estimated authorities in Tenaha had seized $3 million between 2006 and 2008 - in about 150 cases (all involving African-American or Latino motorists) the seizures were improper.

Other motorists taking Daniels' side are taking charges to the next level. Jennifer Boatright and Ron Henderson said they agreed to forfeit their property after Russell threatened to have their children taken away. Amanee Busbee said she also was threatened with losing custody of her child after being stopped in Tenaha with her fiancé and his business partner.

More about what Tenaha officials have to say in a following article.
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