ABOUT THIS PROJECT
One small Nebraska county rakes in millions using civil asset forfeiture. Per capita, is uses the practice more than almost any other county in the United States.
From 2018 to 2022, Seward County raked in $7.5 million in cash seized from I-80 motorists. Some of those seizures stemmed from criminal cases, where a person has drugs or guns in the car and is eventually convicted. But more stemmed from civil forfeiture, a practice that allows law enforcement to seize cash without anyone being charged or proven guilty.
The Seward County Sheriff’s Office has specialized in and perfected the practice. In state court, a third of all civil asset forfeiture cases happened in Seward County from 2013 to 2023, a Flatwater Free Press analysis found.
Some motorists allege that their money went missing during these stops. And state lawmakers, who once believed they had banned the practice, have again tried unsuccessfully to end it.
FEATURED STORY
Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convicting them of crimes
One of every three state civil asset forfeiture seizures happen in this county, pop. 17,692. Proponents say it combats the drug trade and saves taxpayer money. Critics say it’s highway robbery.
Sharing photos of seized cash, guns and drugs
Since joining a federal task force in 2019, the Seward County Sheriff’s Department has seized 51 firearms, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, nearly 5,000 pounds of marijuana, and more off of Interstate 80. The biggest hauls – a combination of drugs, guns and money – often end up on the department’s Facebook page.
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QUICK HIT: Stopped in Seward
One small Nebraska county rakes in millions using civil asset forfeiture. Per capita, is uses the practice more than almost any other county in the United States.
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Seward County’s sheriff misspent federal money, the government says. For months, he didn’t tell county leaders.
At a June meeting, Seward County Sheriff Mike Vance delivered grim financial news to county board members: The Sheriff’s Office was on the verge of a budget shortfall.…
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Lawmakers seek to ban practice allowing Seward County to seize millions from motorists
A June FFP investigation found that in the past decade, one of every three state civil forfeiture cases in Nebraska happened in Seward County, population 17,608. Now, a bill seeks to end the practice statewide.
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Georgia fired a state trooper for his conduct. Now he leads Seward County’s Homeland Security task force.
Seward Sheriff says the former trooper, who argues he was wrongfully fired in Georgia, will stay in his Nebraska job as his legal battle continues.
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Motorists allege seized money went missing; Seward County sheriff refuses to reveal footage of stops in question
Three drivers who had money seized by the Seward County Sheriff’s Office after being stopped on Interstate 80 allege that some of their cash disappeared during those traffic…
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Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convicting them of crimes
One of every three state civil asset forfeiture seizures happen in this county, pop. 17,692. Proponents say it combats the drug trade and saves taxpayer money. Critics say it’s highway robbery.
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Seward County roadside seizures: How we reported this story
Records related to civil forfeiture are scattered across multiple state and federal agencies, and are sometimes incomplete. To get as full a picture as possible of asset forfeiture…