Cops Now Using Prepaid Card Readers To Rob Motorists Of Digital Funds On Roadside

Sunday, October 25, 2015
By Paul Martin

By Justin Gardner
ActivistPost.com
OCTOBER 25, 2015

Civil asset forfeiture (CAF) is coming under increased criticism around the country, as the immoral nature of this drug war weapon becomes exposed. New Mexico became the first state to make meaningful reforms, and even law enforcement officers are speaking out against CAF.

CAF amounts to outright theft from innocent people since cash and assets can be taken with no conviction of a crime. It brings millions in revenue to police departments so they can turn around and get more gadgets of oppression.

Case in point—the Electronic Recovery and Access to Data (ERAD) Prepaid Card Reader. This tool, developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is increasingly being deployed by local police departments.

The ERAD allows cops to swipe prepaid cards, check the balance, freeze the account and take all the money. The ostensible purpose is to go after “bad guys” with “dirty money,” as drug traffickers are turning to prepaid cards instead of bundles of cash when traveling.

However, this ERAD-enabled moral crusade by government will undoubtedly bring about more theft from innocent people, including those with no actual drugs and harmless users who might have a joint lying around.

If Joseph Rivers had put his life savings on prepaid cards as he traveled to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a music producer, he still would have been robbed by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona was recently approved to use ERAD devices during traffic stops that result in the discovery of illegal drugs. They are paying $3,685 for three readers, but also must give 5.7 percent of the stolen wealth to the company, creating a demand for more and more CAF seizures.

Approximately $1 million has already been seized by state and local police agencies using ERAD card readers.

Bill Soto, program manager at the DHS Science and Technology Directorate, describes how the new CAF tool is becoming a hot item.

The Rest…HERE

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