Unmarked Ford Raptor makes traffic stop on 35

[Raoul Duke]

Start watching at 3:51

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As shady is the whole affair sounds, it wasn't a one-off. It's part of a concerted effort by some law enforcement to legally target and keep your money without ever filing charges. In fact, the two Iowa state troopers as well as thousands of other state and local cops nationwide learned how to conduct these kinds of stops from private companies. And the biggest one is an Oklahoma company called Desert Snow.

The Desert Snow trainers travel all over the country to hold their workshops, and business is brisk. According to the company's website, 30 seminars are scheduled for 2015 from. From Oregon to Florida, from Delaware to California, and your police department could be one of Desert Snow's clients.

This is the man in-charge of Desert Snow, a former California State highway patrol officer named Joe David. He wouldn't talk with CNN on camera. But a glance at what his company charges police agencies, shows his training isn't cheap. The lowest price for a police force to attend, according to this price list, is a bit over $8,000. And the top end, $145,000.

TUCHMAN: Why would a police department spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to go to a seminar where it's just something you learn in the police academy?

DOWNEY: Well, they say they teach them more than they'll learn in the police academy, that they have specialized knowledge to teach these officers how to do it even better. I believe the training encourages them to take more cash because the more cash they take, the more cash Joe David is going to get in training materials.

TUCHMAN: Joe David told us he couldn't answer written questions about how many officers he trained or how much money he's made because of a law suit filed by Downey on behalf of those poker players.

As for cop (ph) seizures, he said, "The purpose is not to take and seize funds belonging to innocent people. The purpose is to seize funds when they are tied to criminal activity." But there have never been any charges that the money taken from Bart Davis or John Newmerzhycky has been tied to criminal activity.

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[Raoul Duke]

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