Henry and Minh Cheng, who have been in the wholesale jewelry business for over three decades, are fighting in an Indiana court to get their property back. The ordeal began in early 2024 when they made a bulk sale to a retailer in Virginia, according to a
press release from the Institute for Justice.
The customer agreed to pay for the merchandise in cash, which was shipped to the Chengs through FedEx. A police officer seized the cash after it was intercepted at the Indianapolis FedEx hub, which led to a civil forfeiture action by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecutor’s office alleged that the cash was connected to criminal activity despite failing to specify any particular crime, according to the press release.
The Institute for Justice alleges that the Chengs’ situation is part of a more widespread trend at the Indianapolis FedEx hub. Law enforcement officers routinely take parcels from conveyor belts, run them past K-9 units, and if the dog alerts, they
seize the cash inside.
Indiana has seized over $2.5 million from in-transit parcels since 2022, according to the Institute for Justice. "The Indiana government cannot take money from people just because a shipping company routes it through Indiana," said Marie Miller, an attorney with the organization. "Henry and Minh have never been to Indiana or done business in Indiana, but now they have to defend against a forfeiture action in Indiana, without the state bothering to identify an Indiana crime that it can allege the money is linked to.”
redstate.com