Triumphant Motel Owner Slams Carmen Ortiz
” A Tewksbury motel owner who just beat back U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz’s three-year bid to seize his business has become the latest critic to accuse the Hub’s top fed of prosecutorial bullying.
“I don’t think she should have the power she has to pull this stuff on people,” Russ Caswell, owner of the Motel Caswell, told the Herald last night after a judge’s ruling in his favor.
The feds first tried to grab Caswell’s property in 2009 under drug seizure laws, citing numerous drug busts at the motel. Caswell’s defense team argued that he was not responsible for what guests did. And his lawyers found there was actually more drug activity at nearby businesses, and theorized the government was going after Caswell, who has no criminal record, because his mortgage-free property is worth more than $1 million.
“It’s bullying by the government. And it’s a huge waste of taxpayer money,” said Caswell, whose father built the motel in 1955. “This has been a huge financial and physical toll. It’s thrown our whole family into turmoil. You work for all your life to pay for something and these people come along and think it’s theirs. It’s just wrong. The average person can’t afford to fight this.” ”
Ironic that the Federal judge in the Caswell case , Carmen Ortiz , is the same one that has been thrust into the spotlight as the prosecuting attorney in the late Aaron Swartz’s case . Swartz , it should be recalled is the internet pioneer , co-founder of Reddit that was facing up to 35 years in jail and $1 million in fines when he took his own life several weeks ago .
Related articles
- Carmen Ortiz’s Sordid Rap Sheet (whowhatwhy.com)
- Tewksbury motel owner wins battle against feds in high-profile property seizure case (bizjournals.com)
- Triumphant motel owner slams Carmen Ortiz (bostonherald.com)
- Judge Dismisses Government Seizure Attempt Of Tewksbury Motel (wbur.org)
- Mass. motel owner wins fight to stop forfeiture (sfgate.com)
- Owner wins court battle against feds trying to seize his Tewksbury motel (boston.com)
- AFP PODCAST: U.S. Gov’t Loses High-Profile Civil Forfeiture Case (americanfreepress.net)
- Swartz didn’t face prison until feds took over case, report says (oddonion.com)
- New Questions for Aaron Swartz’s Prosecutor, Whose Career Is Filled with Cases of Picking on the Weak (alternet.org)
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