Oklahoma State Police Seize Prepaid Card Funds with Mobile Devices

According to a recent article, Oklahoma State Police are currently using a new tool, an Electronic Recovery and Access to Data (ERAD) ™ device, to confiscate money from prepaid cards during traffic stops.

The ERAD™ device allows an officer to scan and seize money from prepaid cards.  The company’s website states that the patented device helps law enforcement “document every confiscated credit, debit and prepaid card, and instantaneously provide key card issuer information that’s critical to your investigation. And if some of those cards are prepaid cards, ERAD™ gives you the ability, right at the point of arrest, to determine the value and immediately secure or freeze those funds.”  The seized funds can be directly transferred to a designated law enforcement bank account.

Where an officer believes she or he has probable cause to seize a person’s funds, the funds will be seized, and if the person can establish the source of the funds was legitimate, the funds will later be returned.  The Oklahoma State Police receives 7.7% of all seized funds later forfeited through the courts.

Sources:  Aaron Brilbeck, “OHP Uses New Device To Seize Money During Traffic Stops,” news9.com, June 9, 2016: http://www.news9.com/story/32168555/ohp-uses-new-device-to-seize-money-used-during-the-commission-of-a-crime.  Company website: http://www.officer.com/company/12189987/erad-electronic-recovery-and-access-to-data.

by Neil Leithauser
Associate Editor