A judge has ruled that there is probable cause for police in Starke, Florida, to seize $190,028.21 in cash from Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion, and to seize the new truck Guion was carrying the cash in.
According to First Coast News, the judge wrote in a decision that Guion was traveling in a known drug area and that Guion “carrying such a large amount of money itself is strong evidence that currency was intended to be furnished in return for drugs”.
It may be true that most people carrying that kind of cash on them are involved in nefarious activities, but Guion is not like most people. Guion has a job that legitimately pays him $1 million a year. And Guion reportedly has proof via bank statements that the money comes from cashing his Packers paychecks. If Guion is cashing his paychecks and carrying thousands of $100 bills around with him, that makes him foolish with his money, but it doesn’t make him a criminal. And concerns about police abusing civil asset forfeiture laws are real.
Guion has 20 days to respond to the judge’s ruling. In the mean time, police will hold onto his cash and truck. He is facing charges of felony possession of marijuana and felony possession of a firearm in connection with the arrest early this month.