The United States federal government can initiate forfeiture proceedings. There are three types of forfeiture proceedings; Administrative Forfeiture, Civil Forfeiture and Criminal Forfeiture. Our firm represents clients in Administrative Forfeiture and Civil Forfeiture proceedings. Forfeited items can include, but are not limited to, merchandise and currency. Currency is commonly called cash, cash funds or money. Forfeiture and Asset Forfeiture proceedings can occur for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons for Forfeiture is due to carrying or possessing excessive amounts of cash.

The following United States federal agencies initiate most Administrative Forfeiture proceedings and Civil Forfeiture proceedings:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF)

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

United States Attorney’s Office (USAO)

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)

United States Secret Service (USSS)

For Forfeiture purposes, these Federal law enforcement agencies have dual roles as law enforcement and as Administrative/Civil regulatory agencies. Federal law enforcement agencies have guidelines for instituting Administrative Forfeiture proceedings and Civil Asset Forfeiture proceedings. These guidelines are routinely updated.

Most federal Administrative and Civil Forfeiture proceedings are governed by the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act, known as CAFRA. However, some federal Administrative and Civil Forfeiture proceedings are governed by other federal laws, rules and regulations. The United States Department of Justice also issues Asset Forfeiture Policy Guidelines that are routinely updated. The failure to adhere to the time limits for responding to Forfeiture proceedings will result in the inability to file a Forfeiture claim. Thus, it is important for claimants to take notice of the time limits for filing Forfeiture claims with the federal government.

When facing an Administrative Asset Forfeiture or Civil Asset Forfeiture, it is crucial to receive representation from a Federal License Defense Attorney familiar with the Federal Administrative Forfeiture and Federal Civil Asset Forfeiture claims processes. The federal forfeiture recovery process is challenging. A lawyer skilled in Administrative Forfeiture claims and Civil Asset Forfeiture claims can help you understand your rights.