Documents Show Government Seized Cash from John Wiley Price

Money seized in June 2011, December 2011 and March 2012

Documents released Thursday show that the FBI has seized more than $460,000 in cash at the home of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price.

The number includes nearly $230,000 in cash found in a safe when the FBI raided Price's home in June 2011.

In December 2011 and March 2012, the FBI seized a total of just more than $230,000, which documents say were proceeds from Price's sale of some land on Grady Niblo Road in Dallas.

In total, investigators seized $460,353.47.

The newly released documents were sealed in federal court until after Tuesday's Democratic primary to avoid undue influence on the election.

Price beat several challengers Tuesday with a landslide 76 percent of the vote, despite the cloud of the corruption investigation. He will face a Republican in the November general election.

The documents are part of a federal government lawsuit to keep the cash that agents seized. Along with the money in the safe, agents also found expensive jewelry and watches. The watches were also seized.

The government claims the seizures are ill-gotten gains for crimes that include bribery, money laundering, income tax evasion and concealing assets from his 1996 bankruptcy.

The documents say Price and an associate set up a bank account in Forney to conceal money withheld from the bankruptcy.

The documents suggest that money was funneled through charities, including Price's KwanzaaFest program, and laundered from campaign contribution money Price paid to associates who then bought real estate and fancy cars and paid cash to Price.

Price's lawyer declined to comment Thursday, but a former prosecutor said it appears the government has a very strong case.

"Well, it certainly gives a road map," said Matthew Orwig, former U.S. attorney said. "The affidavit of the FBI agent -- a very well-known, very seasoned FBI agent -- you can tell from reading the affidavit that it's a very deep and thorough investigation."

There have been no criminal indictments in the case so far.

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