Feds seek forfeiture of private money in NC case

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Federal prosecutors are seeking roughly $7
million worth of privately made coins issued by a group that sought
to establish a currency to rival the U.S. dollar.

A forfeiture trial is scheduled to resume Monday in Statesville.
The government is seeking the coins, known as Liberty Dollars, from
Bernard von NotHaus, of Evansville, Ind.

The trial is in North Carolina because the group was
particularly active in the Asheville area.

About a dozen U.S. states, including North and South Carolina,
have legislation pending that would authorize the creation of their
own currencies.

Von NotHaus was convicted last month of conspiracy and
counterfeiting charges for making and selling Liberty Dollars.

His lawyer says the group did nothing illegal, because they
didn’t try to pass off Liberty Dollars as U.S. dollars.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)