The Miami-Dade sheriff is accused of unconstitutionally allowing a law firm to profit when police seize property and cash, in a lawsuit that has garnered attention from national think tanks, business interests and defense lawyers and may impact how some forfeitures are handled in Florida.
The case also draws attention to Miami’s new sheriff, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, the first elected sheriff in Miami-Dade since the 1960s.
In court records, a group of mobile phone distributors and retailers in Miami say their bank accounts were frozen last year and more than $45.2 million was seized in legal cases handled by the Coral Gables law firm of former cop, prosecutor and judge Israel “Izzy” Reyes, on behalf of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. An additional $2.6 billion is also targeted for seizure from the companies, all under civil forfeiture actions that claim the money is tied to criminal enterprise…