Jun.18, 2010

ROYSE CITY — A state district judge has ruled a New Jersey man was not connected to illegal narcotics when he transported thousands of dollars in cash through Hunt County last summer.

The Hunt County District Attorney’s Office had filed a lawsuit, seeking to seize the more than $25,000 Charles Greenidge was carrying in his 2003 Lincoln Town Car, as well as the vehicle.

Hunt County District Attorney Noble D. Walker Jr. claimed the money was the proceeds of an illegal activity.

During a hearing Friday in the 196th District Court, Judge Joe Leonard awarded Greenidge the cash and the car.

“There is not sufficient linkage to violations of drug laws in this case ... to warrant the forfeiture of Respondent’s vehicles or monies seized,” Leonard ruled.

Greenidge, 45, of Pleasantville, N.J, had been drawing unemployment when he was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety on the night of Aug. 11, 2009, while driving the Town Car on Interstate 30. Greenidge was pulled over for failure to signal a lane change. Greenidge and the passenger in the car were reported to have given conflicting stories, according to a criminal complaint, and Greenidge was reported to have appeared evasive when asked whether he had any involvement with narcotics.

Greenidge refused to give consent to search the vehicle, so Royse City Police Department Officer Jeff Mosely was called to the scene and his canine officer alerted on possible narcotics from the outside of the vehicle. With probable cause, the inside of the Town Car was searched and the canine officer alerted on a cell phone box inside a backpack. Inside the cell phone box was $24,000 in wrapped bills. Greenidge was also found with $1,594 on his person and claimed all the money belonged to him.

Greenidge was never indicted on any criminal charges in the case.