arizona startuesday, november 1, 1999
used car was real steal, but who gets the loot?
Knight Ridder Newspapers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - At $5,400, the 1995 shiny blue Volkswagen Golf seemed to be a steal. At least that's what Helen Chappell and her son thought when they bought it last spring .from the federal government.
But two months later the engine quit. Suspecting a fuel problem, a mechanic Ax" Kansas City garage checked the gas mod
$82,000 in more
tank where he plastic
Chappells thought they had won lottery, but are now involved in a court fight with the government to get the money back.,
U.S., Attorney Stephen Hill has filed a complaint in federal court, saying the money should go to the U.S. Justice Department because the car and cash may have been used in - illegal 'drug activity three years ago.
Jeffrey Chappell, Helen Chappell's son, maintains they should get the money because they bought the car "as is.,,
"You always read about stuff the government does, but I was in disbelie that they would do this," said Jeffrey Chappell, of Kansas City. "The forfeiture laws are there for trying to get the money out of the hands of drug,dealers and stuff like that. They know darn good and well ... the money is not in the hands of drug dealers."
The Volkswagen was stopped in February 1996 by the Missouri Highway Patrol for speeding. During a search, troopers found cash in baggies $24,000. The patrol handed over that money and the car to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
The men in the car were not arrested, and they left after receiving a receipt for the money and the car. They were never
move this to end of 2nd file the webmaster notes: the government pigs seized a car with $24,000 in it and because the people in it could not prove they were not criminals the government stole the car.
next the government sold the car it stole to some people named chappell. when the people found more money in the car the government decided it had to shake down these people and rob them too.
fuck the american constition. it exists on paper but the thugs who run our government ignore it.