Michigan Store Owner Sues Feds Over $35K Seizure

FRASER (AP) - The owner of a Michigan grocery store is firing back at federal authorities over the seizure of $35,000 from a bank account.

Tarik "Terry" Dehko, owner of Schott's Supermarket in Fraser, filed a lawsuit Wednesday, saying he's broken no laws and wants the money back. He wants a judge to find that the Constitution requires a prompt hearing when money is seized.

Authorities say they grabbed $35,000 in January because it appeared that Dehko was making deposits of less than $10,000 to avoid having the transactions reported to the government.

Dehko denies any so-called structuring. He says he doesn't keep piles of cash in the suburban Detroit store because he's only insured up to $10,000 in case of theft.

Virginia-based Institute for Justice is representing Dehko in the lawsuit.

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