SPOKANE, Wash. – More than $100,000 that once belonged to convicted felons who were arrested in a meth house sting will now be supporting Spokane police.
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded the Spokane Police Department the funds in the form of a check on Thursday.
That cash was seized as part of a practice called asset forfeiture when officers raided Helmut Uwe Borchert’s home in Spokane.
Although some versions of this practice, particularly when levied against people who have yet to be convicted or are later found not guilty, are controversial, many law enforcement leaders defend the practice as crucial for supporting communities impacted by crime.
“The reason why methamphetamine traffickers, like Mr. Borchert, deal drugs dangerous to our community is to enrich themselves,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Asset forfeiture is an important tool to strip traffickers of their ill-gotten gains while, at the same time, giving something back to the communities they preyed upon.”
According to police, Borchert has a long history of drug possession and distribution in Spokane dating back to the late 1980s, and he has previously pleaded guilty to drug dealing.
Police said Borchert used his house to store meth to traffic drugs like meth in the Spokane area. Police seized about 20 pounds of meth from Borchert’s house.
After pleading guilty to drug charges, Borchert was also ordered to forfeit his home located on East Main Avenue. Following the sentence, the United States Marshals Service sold the forfeited residence, the proceeds of which are now shared with the Spokane Police Department.
