Ortiz to motel owner: We’re not done yet
was “bullying by the government” and felt vindicated when a judge sided with him after his court victory last week.
“It’s like they’ve got nothing better to do,” Caswell said after he heard prosecutors are considering an appeal. “I don’t think they have much chance of anything, but I guess they can appeal if they want. This thing’s been going on for three years, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they might want to drag it out longer.”
Federal prosecutors first sought to seize Caswell’s property in 2009, citing multiple drug arrests on the property. But Caswell’s legal team found there was actually more drug activity at surrounding addresses and suspected the government
U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said her office is weighing an appeal against a Tewksbury motel owner who criticized her for prosecutorial bullying last week after he won his battle in the feds’ three-year bid to seize his business, citing drug busts on the property.
“This case was strictly a law-enforcement effort to crack down on what was seen as a pattern of using the motel to further the commission of drug crimes for nearly three decades,” Ortiz said in a statement. “We are weighing our options with respect to appeal.”
Russ Caswell, owner of Motel Caswell, told the Herald he thought the case was going after Caswell, who has no criminal record, because his mortgage-free property is worth more than $1 million.
On Thursday, a judge dismissed the government’s forfeiture action, ruling Caswell took all reasonable steps to prevent crime on his property.