2 Investigators: Kane County Officer Racks Up Impressive Seizures -- And Lawsuits
CBS (CHICAGO) – Kane County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Hain has seized millions in drugs and cash off the street.
But in the past year alone, Kane County judges have thrown out evidence in three of Hain's criminal cases amid concerns his tactics were improper.
2 Investigator Brad Edwards reports.
Hain, a nationally recognized expert in highway "interdiction," plans to run for sheriff of Kane County. His resume includes the seizure of over 4,000 pounds of marijuana and $3 million in cash.
"He's pushing the envelope in a manner that people should feel very uncomfortable about," says Blake Horowitz, a Chicago attorney who has filed three federal lawsuits against Kane County and Hain.
One client is America Martinez. Hain pulled over her father's vehicle on Interstate 90 in April 2015 because he saw something dangling from the rearview mirror, according to interviews and records.
Hain allegedly smelled marijuana inside the vehicle – a claim that led to Martinez's detainment and eventual strip search by a female officer.
"She made me squat and pull my butt cheeks apart," Martinez says. "I felt embarrassed, really violated."
Hain found no drugs on her, or her father or inside the vehicle.
He discovered a small amount on a passenger but the drug charges were dropped because a judge ruled his strip search was improper.
Still, Kane County seized their car and $5,118 in cash, according to court filings.
They have never gotten back the car or the cash.
"He's using the legal process to grab as much money as he can for the government of Kane County," Horowitz says.
"Absolutely not," Hain counters when asked if he's "policing for profit."
Hain has written a book about interdiction and, in addition to his role as a sheriff's officer, works as director of marketing for Desert Snow, a for-profit company that trains officers how to seize assets.
The book says seizing motorists' cash is a "tax-liberating gold mine."
"What I mean by that line is that that money is the peoples' money," Hain says.
He dismisses criticisms.
"These naysayers will tell you I take it right up to the edge because they dismiss all those suspicious circumstances," Hain says. "I am bound by law that if I recognize indications of criminal activity I have to take action."
Two lawsuits against Hain were recently settled for a total of $62,500.
America Martinez's suit is still pending.
A sheriff's office spokesman declined to comment.
