After two years of court battles, North Carolina trucker Jerry Johnson has not received the $40,000 Arizona law enforcement took from him.
The owner of the two-rig Triple J Logistics operation traveled to Arizona with $39,500 in cash to purchase a tractor at a Richie Brothers auction in 2020. Cash-on-hand allows small fleet operations like Johnson’s to take advantage of good deals and grow their companies. At the time, the average auction price hoverer around $42,900. That price has now skyrocketed to $70,000 due to inflation and supply chain crunches.
According to reports, the Drug Enforcement Bureau of the Phoenix Police Department waited for Johnson after learning he was traveling with a large amount of cash. Although law enforcement did not have credible intelligence Johnson intended to commit an offense, they parlayed his 48-hour air flight turnaround time and cash as a reason to claim criminal intent. Law enforcement and the courts admit it was perfectly legal for Johnson to carry that sum.
Johnson, who reportedly did not object to a search of his luggage, had his professional aspirations turned upside down. A lower court would later rule — in error — that Johnson could not prove he owned the money in his possession. Such burdens of proof are the legal responsibility of the state, not citizens.
Reports indicate Arizona turned justice on its head, “essentially requiring Jerry to prove his own innocence. It also absolved the state of its burden of proof, its duty to prove by clear and convincing evidence that Jerry’s money was connected to criminal activity in order to forfeit its property.”
Although a higher court vacated the erroneous decision, the state of Arizona has still not given the trucker’s money back. Adding insult to injury, Johnson lost any profit he would have enjoyed from adding a third rig to his fleet.
Daseke Founder Retires From Leading North American Flatbed Operation
Daseke Inc recently completed the stock buyout of its namesake founder for an estimated $107.6 million. Don R. Daseke, who started the industry-leading flatbed operation, exits the organization he created in 2008 to reportedly focus on philanthropy and other endeavors. The operation’s value exceeded $1.5 billion in 2021.
“Mr. Daseke built the foundation of something truly special in Daseke, and we are thankful for his vision and his many years of service,” board chairman Chuck Serianni reportedly stated. “We wish him well as he enters the next stage of his life, focused on extending his legacy through his charitable giving.”
The company holds assets that include numerous North American companies with more than 5,200 trucks, as well as 11,000 flatbeds and specialized trailers. Daseke also employs more than 4,000 people across the freight transportation landscape.
The parent company has wide-reaching brands under its umbrella that reportedly include Smokey Point Distributing, E.W. Wylie, J. Grady Randolph, Central Oregon Truck Company, Lone Star Transportation, Bulldog Hiway Express, Hornady Transportation, The Boyd, The Schilli Companies, Big Freight Systems, The Steelman Companies, The Roadmaster Group, TSH & Co. (Tennessee Steel Haulers), Moore Freight Service, Inc, Aveda Transportation and Energy Services, and Builders Transportation Co.
Sources: dallasnews.com, bakersfield.com, freightwaves.com
Leave a Comment