Civil Forfeiture/Asset Seizure Government searches lead to seized property by law enforcement. Often, the law enforcement agency makes the owner prove to them that the money or property has a legal paper trail. That is not the way the law is supposed to work. It is the government that has to prove a nexus between the property at issue and illegal activity. Law enforcement in Nebraska has identified I-80 as a common route for drugs moving east and money moving west. They routinely have K-9 officers set up roadside and engage in pretextual stops to fish for contraband. Vehicles with out of state plates and occupants of certain minorities are often profiled. A typical stop involves the officer going through a mental checklist of indicators that will be combined to justify extending traffic stops beyond the duration of what they should take for the particular minor traffic violation observed. An attorney trained and experienced in asset forfeiture law can help evaluate the chance of getting the property returned. If the officer violated your rights in the stop, detention and/or search, then that can be a reason independent of the paper trail that results in return of the property.