WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Attorney General Eric Holder announced changes to the federal asset-forfeiture program that allowed local and state law enforcement to seize assets without legal cause.
Since 2008, local and state law enforcement agencies nationwide have used the program, called Equitable Sharing, to seize more than $3 billion in cash and property. Equitable Sharing allows local law enforcement to seize assets in accordance with federal law and turn the assets over to the federal government. The government then sells the assets and returns up to 80 percent of the proceeds back to the local agency.