By By Lisa Tindell – news editor
Internal Revenue special agents, with assistance from Brewton police, searched a local home earlier this month.
Although no charges have been filed in the incident, officers converged on the home of William D. Smith, at 194 Sowell Road, to begin a search for items described in warrants issued by Sonja Bivins, U.S. magistrate judge in Mobile.
According to U.S. District Court documents, Smith's home, outbuildings and a safe deposit box were searched by officers.
In the warrant signed by Bivins, officers were instructed to search the Sowell Road residence along with outbuildings and vehicles located at the address as well as a safe deposit box maintained by Smith at BankTrust Bank in Brewton.
Officers were instructed to seize property and records related to tax years 2005, 2006 and 2007 including a variety of forms and instructions, names and social security numbers for individual, books, records, receipts, invoice, bank statement, check registers, bank and/or brokerage accounts including notes receivable and payable, stock certification, account statements, interest reports, bank loan records, real estate titles, vehicle title and registration documents, bills of sale and purchase documentation, any records pertinent to currency exchanged or currency transported into or out of the Untied States including copies of US. Customs declaration forms, currency, money counter machines, passports and a variety of notebooks.
Computers, hard drives, disk drives and other files were also listed among the items to be seized.
As a result of the search, Special Agent Vicki Rooks and Sgt. Russell Martin documented $34,920 in U.S. currency and four envelopes of documents were seized at the residence.
According to documents listing an inventory of seized items included cash, notebooks, financial documents, newspaper, assorted documents and food stamp records, address book, photos, statements and money order receipts, profit sharing records, Medicaid renewal, 1098 forms, contribution documentation, miscellaneous documents from Regions and BankTrust, currency exchange documents, keys, Canadian currency, credit card information, 2005 tax return with miscellaneous documents and receipts, passport, computers and hard drive images, profit and loss for Uncle Sam's BBQ, Uncle Sam's BBQ sauce and electronic banner. Blank checks, shirts, caps, passports, and assorted receipts were also on the seizure inventory list.
An investigation is continuing under the direction of the Internal Revenue System by special agents in the case.