Police are up to their bumpers in Hot Wheels

By TOM ALEX
Register Staff Writer
01/31/2002
Copyright © 2002, The Des Moines Register.
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Des Moines police need to get rid of 21,000 vehicles they seized from a drug dealer.

The problem isn't as big as it sounds, but it won't be simple, either.

The cars are pocket-sized Hot Wheels collectible toys, and they're crowding the Crime Prevention Office and an undisclosed warehouse.

Police Chief William Moulder said the department must follow state guidelines for forfeited property. Iowa law says the seized fruits of criminal activity must be used to fight crime. The law was written with cash, boats, motorcycles and real cars in mind.

Jack Morton, assistant police chief, said he would like to sell some of the Hot Wheels on eBay, the online auction site, and use the proceeds for training and equipment.

"To be honest, we don't know a lot about Hot Wheels," Morton said. "Even if we sold 30 at a time, this could take forever."

Officers could also give the toys to children as part of anti-drug and crime-prevention programs, he said.

Police would need the Iowa attorney general's clearance to give away or sell the toys. Attorney general's spokesman Doug Marek said police could sell most seized property if the money went to enhance law enforcement.

"We would probably say that giving them away is OK, too," he said.

Police got the Hot Wheels after they got Stephen Allen, 48, who operated a car-cleaning service with a methamphetamine business on the side. The bust followed five months of surveillance by Officers Steve Kees and Wade Wojewoda.

Investigators raided the cleaning service in November 2000 and later searched Allen's home at (edited by casecodes.com).

The first raid netted drugs, about $9,500 in cash, computer equipment, electronics, a pickup truck and about 29,000 Hot Wheels. In the second raid, officers seized another 6,000 Hot Wheels and other goods.

A Polk County judge last month said police could keep about 21,000 of the toy cars and several other items. The rest of the toy collection was returned to Allen, who pleaded guilty of methamphetamine trafficking and awaits sentencing.

Many of the toys are in their original boxes, which collectors say makes them more valuable.

"We're trying to find out" what the Hot Wheels are worth, Moulder said.