Adopted Cash/Vehicle Assets
| Factors | Percentage | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Accompanying Arrest or Warrant | 80.6% | 3,973 |
| Seized - Illegal Drugs/Contraband | 83.2% | 4,100 |
| Admission of Criminal Activity | 38.3% | 1,889 |
| Denial of Ownership | 15.3% | 753 |
DOJ Adoption Policy Directive 17-1 (effective July 19, 2017) emphasizes the importance of carefully evaluating the circumstances surrounding each seizure when deciding whether the federal government should adopt the asset from state and local law enforcement partners.
One or more of the following seven factors were present in over ninety-three percent of adopted seizures of valued assets since July 19, 2017:
1. Property seized in conjunction with an arrest
2. Property seized pursuant to a state or local warrant
3. Illegal controlled substance seized
4. Other contraband seized
5. Admission of criminal activity with the seized property
6. Denial of ownership of the seized property
7. Firearm seized for forfeiture/retained as evidence
Eighty percent of cash or vehicle adoptions were seized pursuant to a judicial seizure warrant and/or were incident to an arrest for a criminal violation. Likewise, over eighty-two percent of cash or vehicle seizures also involved the seizure of illegal drugs or other contraband. In many of these cases, the individual from whom the property was seized admitted the property was connected to criminal activity or denied ownership of the property.