…Tunick’s lawyers argued during the hearing last week that the seizure was unlawful, & that he was targeted because of his #political #activism against #Atlanta’s plan to build a police & fire training center within a 1,000-acre stretch of urban #woodland. Opponents argue that the center, known as #CopCity, would militarize officers & destroy precious #GreenSpace.
The federal #statute underlying the charge makes it a #felony to destroy #evidence or transfer assets to keep the government from seizing them, or to tip someone off about an upcoming search or wiretap. It carries a penalty of up to 5 years in federal prison, a fine, or both.
The act applies before, during or after a search. If the target of an investigation knows that a search or seizure is imminent, & that person acts to thwart it, they would fall under the statute, experts said.