In the 14 Kansas City-area cases found by The Star , police didn't call in federal agents until they had already found the money. Take the case of Fontaine Jones, who was murdered in March 1997. Police seized the cash and later gave it to the DEA, according to court records. If that is not occurring, the law is not being followed. Even when police officers are working with a federal agency, they must send any money they find through state courts, the law says.
State law is insufficient, police say.
Officers can seize drug money only if they believe a crime has been committed or if the money is unclaimed. But some cases don't meet either requirement, said David Hansen, attorney for the Highway Patrol. Troopers sometimes stop a car for a traffic violation, search it and find a bundle of cash that a patrol dog identifies as drug money. The driver says he doesn't know where the money came from and doesn't want it, but that doesn't give troopers authority to seize it if no crime was committed, Hansen said. In such cases, the trooper has no options but to give the money to a federal agent or let the driver leave with it, he said.