A Florida-based trucking company has filed suit after they say that federal authorities seized more than $181,000 in cash meant to purchase trucks for their fleet.
Tampa trucking company FGL Transport, Inc. has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred in September 2019 when FGL Transport attempted to send employee Boris Nulman to Cleveland to purchase four trucks to add to their small fleet.
The company says that they gave Nulman $191,500 in cash and tried to put him on a plane to Cleveland to complete the transaction.
When Nulman’s carry-on bag went through the airport’s TSA scanner, agents discovered the cash, and after questioning him with the help of airport police, authorities seized most of it, leaving Nulman with only $10,000.
Nulman was unable to purchase the trucks in Cleveland.
When FGL Transport filled out a “verified claim form” in order to reclaim the seized cash, they were reportedly informed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that the agency was attempting to seize $159,950 because the cash was believed to be tied to an unspecified unlawful activity.
The lawsuit also points out that there is a discrepancy between the $159,950 that federal authorities admit to seizing and the $181,500 that FGL Transport says was actually seized — in spite of the fact that FGL Transport says that they have documentation that this was the amount that was taken from Nulman.
The lawsuit argues that it is not uncommon to purchase trucking equipment with cash and that the cash was obtained legally.
FGL Transport co-owner Michael Rozenberg told the Tampa Bay Times, “This is legitimate money. There is nothing dirty about this. We have evidence to show we took this out of our business account. Something is fishy here.”