Fargo police earned more than $19,000 Monday by using eBay to sell two vehicles seized in 2007 as part of a drug investigation.
The sales of a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 motorcycle and a 2003 BMW M3 mark the first time the department has used the Internet auction site to sell seized property, Sgt. Ross Renner said.
The motorcycle sold for $5,500 after receiving 20 bids. The BMW sold for $13,700 after 17 bids.
"If it's proceeds of drug sales, then it's subject to seizure," Renner said, adding generally authorities seize cash and vehicles.
Authorities must prove that the seized item was purchased using proceeds from illegal activity, such as drug trafficking. That can be done by showing someone did not have a viable source of income or was living beyond his or her means, Renner said.
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Vehicles are typically sold during city auctions in the spring and fall, but authorities decided to use eBay in this instance due to the vehicles' value, Renner said. Authorities have also used property
room.com, a site formed by former police officers, to sell seized items, he said.
Police use the money gained from selling seizures to buy equipment and fund special projects, Renner said.
"It allows us to buy things that are outside what we normally have," he said, listing surveillance and narcotics equipment as examples.
The vehicles, along with a Honda Accord, 1 pound of marijuana and $33,000 in cash were seized during a July 26, 2007, search of a Fargo home.
Two men were arrested in connection with the search. One of them, Lam Bao Tran, was sentenced in August 2008 to serve six months in custody after pleading guilty to a felony charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, according to Cass County District Court records.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Brittany Lawonn at (701) 241-5541
