Law enforcement agents around the country have been very busy confiscating private property from citizens in the way of cash, real estate, and cars etc. It's referred to as a practice known as civil asset forfeiture and it's allowed the state to confiscate billions from suspects who might never be charged or convicted of any wrongdoing.
One of their victims happened to be a US veteran gas station owner from Maryland.
The gas station owner, Oh Suk Kwon, is from South Korea and after spending several years in the military, as well as working at an electrical plant and as an auto mechanic, he decided to start his very own small business in the way of a gas station back in 2007.
The government doesn't have any evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Oh Suk Kwon and his family, yet they stole almost everything that they had regardless. They financially crippled the family, and for what? The only evidence of wrongdoing that they knew for certain was that he had deposited funds into his own account and that was suspicious enough.
Kwon admits that his wife then got diagnosed with cancer and died as a result of the illness, and stress from the battle with the state over what had happened. Kwon packed up in shame and moved away from his home. Since then, the IRS has allegedly updated their policy so as to try and prevent this sort of incident from occurring again in the future when it comes to small businesses. But they still won't give Kwon back his funds. And structuring is still regarded as a federal crime today.
Investigations into the actions of the state in structuring cases have allegedly revealed that over 90 percent of their seizures have targeted lawful citizens where there income has been lawfully obtained.
Kwon says that many years ago he was instructed by the bank that if he were to make deposits larger than $10k that he would need to fill out a decent amount of paperwork. Therefore, the bank allegedly suggested to him that he make smaller deposits into his account. This was the only action he was guilty of, putting his own money into his account but in a way that was deemed “suspicious” by the state. The IRS claims that he plead guilty to structuring, though there are many would say that isn't any sort of crime (who is the victim?).
Kwon says that even if he does get those funds back now years later, the damage has already been done. He has been shamed and had his life ruined, lost his business, his community, and his wife. And there are many others who are also having their lives ruined by unjust policies like structuring and civil asset forfeiture that permit law enforcement to steal without justification; charges and convictions.
Pics:
Pixabay
Sources:
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/18/15985810/jeff-sessions-civil-asset-forfeiture
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/29/since-2007-the-dea-has-taken-3-2-billion-in-cash-from-people-not-charged-with-a-crime/?utm_term=.858dccf45fb2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structuring
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2017/04/05/91-of-irs-seizures-for-structuring-involve-lawful-taxpayers/#3ea3cde51235
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/05/the-irs-took-millions-from-innocent-people-because-of-how-they-managed-their-bank-accounts-inspector-general-finds/?utm_term=.4d7886333812
https://www.hudsonvalley360.com/article/irs-seized-59000-gas-station-owner-they-still-refuse-give-it-back
Cryptos are sorely needed in today's crazy world. Financial privacy was only available to wealth people in the past in the form of Swiss bank accounts and offshore corporations, but these days just about anyone could have the same benefits with just a smartphone and a crypto wallet.
i can't wait for cryptos to become officially official. many everyday people still don't know about it. i'm scared that people will get in trouble first before it becomes 'legal'.
I honestly get the feeling that a large percentage of the millennials are already into cryptos, but the convincing the older generations to invest will take a lot more work.
They just don't understand abstract concepts such as cryptography, the only thing the boomers know is real estate, stocks and bonds.
Such a great post, thank you for sharing with us.
The IRS is a terrorist organization.
Most people think they are those who collect money to run "our" govern-cement, but the reality is that all the money the collect gets thrown into a furnace. Further, this corporation isn't even american.
All of their policies are to brutalize, extort and terrorize middle class people.
The atrocities I have heard and seen from rich people and taxes, would have all of us little people behind bars. There are senators that haven't filed a tax return in years.
So, the IRS, is an organization designed to terrify people. It is its number one task.
Wow never thought about it that way!
this information needs to get out there in the public for others to truly know what is going on. Our freedoms and liberties are being whittled away and the public is being conditioned to go along with it. Balognia! no person with half brain should stand for this and must defend those who fall prey to this ruthless tyranny. Yes it was a wonderful post. Just bad news. But we need to be informed. Thanks.
This is my 1st day on Steemit. This is one of the 1st stories I have had the pleasure of reading and I am saddened not only by the governments treatment of this innocent American, but also by the fact that our mainstream media fails at keeping our government in check. Thank you for this story.
thanks for checking out my post and WELCOME TO STEEMIT!:)
How is this allowed to happening to innocent people when there's Absolutely no evidence of wrong doing !? And is there anything being done to stop or change these absurd laws !! Here in Canada its the same kind of thing , if anything is over 10,000.00 dollars cash its suspicious and out comes the forms !! But if you want to withdraw say 9,999.00 dollars from your bank , its ok !!! How stupid is that , and the banks are always being monitored for this so called suspicious activity as though we are all drug dealers or something !! Drives me crazy ! Loved you post as usual @doitvoluntarily ! Upped and resteemed !! Was just having issues for a few hours of being unable to reply or comment or post steemit kept saying something like "no active posting key " ! Steem On my friend !👍👍👍🚓🚓🚓🚓🚓🚔🚔🚔
I have also gotten that no active posting key message before. I just tried again and then it worked I think but it took a while. Fancy word structuring. They are probably IYI's.
Its really sad that things like that can happen to unsuspecting, law abiding citizens. i did not know about structuring laws. Its amazing what government can get away with. They are barely accountable to the people they claim to serve.
It will all me mute when all cash disappears. That is their goal. Now they have to address blockchain.
It's not a good @doitvoluntarily, how can this possible. I only hope a best for them,. Thanks for sharing informative news and updates,..
That is one very sad story for Oh Suk Kwon and his family, it breaks my heart how the hard working people try to make living for their families by working super hard so they can be told what they can do with their own hard-earned money and how much they can put into the bank, which is another money making industry that loves to steal peoples money. What happened to the free speech and our wonderful freedom? The biggest lie ever, it never existed and never will.
its a great post ... i think we all have tnks u for sharing this kinds of usefull post @doitvoluntarily
Usually the governments try to destroy normal people, small business just to show that they can and put fear into others.
They don't really do big thing to big corporations who literally steal with "legal" papers signed by authorities and even do bad things to its employers.
The governments takes the hardworking money from many small people to overcome the holes made by corporations. Where in the world could a normal people or small business could fight these things? I think nowhere.
Even if there are few ones who maybe won some lawsuits with governments in this kind of situations, how many of them will be ok after that? The governments will do whatever they can to make his life worse and make him pay for that.
I see that in last 5-10 years with police force and other things they can do worse that that... to any "suspect" that they see fit to whatever reason they want.
The world is changing and not only to good things.
If all people would react and not with violence, just with simple things like all to not do certain things, but all not a fraction, could start a wave and a chain reaction for an improvement in this way.
Regarding this sad story, no money in the world could repair the damage that was done. Maybe just a consolation, for that damage, should go in prison many people who went with that decision and supported it. From the one who visited him till the one who judged.
That could be a start... or not.
It is sad to see things could go so wrong even you are a normal citizen...