Asset Forfeiture Law: Legal Standards, Procedures & Best Practices

Agencies across the country seize millions in cash, vehicles, and property tied to criminal activity every year, but a forfeiture action only survives legal challenge if it was built correctly from the moment of seizure. Missed notice deadlines, incomplete documentation, and confusion over the thresholds separating civil from criminal forfeiture are among the most common reasons cases are contested, delayed, or lost, and those gaps almost always form in the field long before a hearing takes place.

Asset Forfeiture Law: Practices & Procedures for Law Enforcement is a live online training that breaks down the full forfeiture process in plain language, from initial seizure through final disposition, with particular attention to virtual currency and other digital assets, one of the fastest growing and least understood categories of seized property.

The course is led by Richard Dean, a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service specializing in virtual currency investigations and asset forfeiture strategy, who connects the legal framework directly to real investigative and prosecutorial scenarios so attendees leave able to apply what they learn immediately.

What You Will Learn

• The foundational differences between civil and criminal forfeiture, and how each functions under federal and state legal frameworks

• How to identify, trace, and properly document virtual currency and other digital assets tied to criminal proceeds

• Practical strategies for building a forfeiture case file that withstands legal challenge, from seizure through final disposition

• Critical timelines, notice requirements, and documentation standards that protect the case regardless of jurisdiction

• Common procedural pitfalls and agency policy gaps that jeopardize forfeiture actions before they reach a hearing

• Coordination strategies between local, state, and federal partners that strengthen case outcomes and expand available resources

• How forfeiture hearings function procedurally, and how outcomes can be leveraged to support and strengthen related criminal prosecutions

• Real-world case studies from cyber-enabled and financial crime investigations, highlighting both successful forfeitures and costly, avoidable mistakes

Who Should Attend

This training is designed for all sworn and professional staff involved in asset seizure, case preparation, or supervisory review, including patrol officers and investigators handling seizures in the field, financial crimes and cyber unit personnel working digital asset cases, supervisors overseeing criminal cases involving seized property, and legal professionals or agency counsel supporting forfeiture proceedings. Any agency actively seizing assets, or evaluating whether its current forfeiture practices hold up to legal scrutiny, has a direct stake in sending someone.

Your Instructor

Richard Dean is an educator, consultant, and advisor to the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, specializing in virtual currency investigations, asset forfeiture strategy, and financial crime disruption. Prior to his retirement in 2025, Richard completed a 25-year career in the U.S. Secret Service, holding positions with the Presidential Protective Division as well as the Washington, DC and Tampa Field Offices, where he became an expert in cyber-enabled investigations and served as a spokesman for cybersecurity awareness on cases that drew national media attention. He established the Tampa Bay Cyber Fraud Task Force, a collaborative initiative uniting law enforcement, academia, and the private sector against technology-based financial threats, and later launched the Tampa Bay K12 Cyber Outreach Program. His approach blends operational field experience with strategic context, ensuring investigative practices align with organizational priorities and evolving regulatory requirements.

Cost $199 per person.

Payment Options Credit card online, purchase order, or check. Invoice will be generated prior to class but is not due before. Checks payable to Training Force USA, 7769 McClure Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32312.

Cancellations and Substitutions Registrations are confirmed upon submission and participants are responsible for payment regardless of attendance. Substitutions are welcome at any time by phone, email, or online. If minimum enrollment is not met, the class will transition to an on-demand format and all registered participants will be notified. A full refund is also available.

Questions Phone: 850-556-4544 | Email: contactus@trainingforceusa.com | www.trainingforceusa.com