Sheriff's offices get seized assets

Federal authorities in the Middle District of Florida seized $42 million in forfeited assets in fiscal year 2009.

The amount was more than double the $19 million seized last year, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Steve Cole said Friday.

So far, about $17 million of this year's total has been used to compensate crime victims and $7.4 million has gone to state and local law enforcement agencies. Other money is still being processed or will be kept by the U.S. Department of Justice and used by federal law enforcement agencies.

Among the seizures were four houses, a jet and hundreds of thousands of dollars in an Orlando case involving Frank L. Omodeo, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to failing to give the IRS withholding taxes from his businesses.

"Working with our partners in local, state, and federal law enforcement, we have shown that crime does not pay," U.S. Attorney Brian Albritton said in a statement. "It is rewarding to see ill-gotten gains reallocated and being used to compensate victims and support law enforcement."

The Middle District of Florida stretches from Jacksonville to Fort Myers.

Locally, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office received the largest amount from the seizures, $424,864. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office got $361,458, the Tampa Police Department received $238,259 and the Polk County Sheriff's Office got $147,567.

Other agencies receiving funds included: the St. Petersburg Police Department, $137,046; the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, $133,476; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, $115,636; and the Florida Highway Patrol, $89,339.

Among other police departments: Tarpon Springs got $79,289; Pinellas Park received $57,251; Lakeland got $50,997; Clearwater received $53,121; and New Port Richey got $9,196.

The assets were seized in criminal, civil and administrative cases under the auspices of more than 200 federal forfeiture laws enacted to fight organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering and other illegal activities.

Authorities say the concept of forfeiture can be traced back to biblical times and has been a part of American law since the Colonial period.

The First Congress enacted laws in 1789 subjecting vessels and cargoes to civil forfeiture for violations of Customs laws.