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Motel Caswell Trial Begins Today In Federal Court

Prosecutors are asking to be allowed to seize the property due to a history of criminal activity by motel guests.

 

Russ Caswell wanted his day in court -- today he gets it.

The owner of the Motel Caswell and his attorney's are in U.S. District Court in Boston today, trying to stop the Department of Justice from seizing the motel and the property it sits on.

Federal prosecutors are basing their claim for seizure based on eight drug arrests that occurred at the motel between 2001 and 2008 and more than 100 narcotics investigations involving the motel dating back to 1994, according to an Associated Press article published in the Boston Herald.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office called it "an important case" for Tewksbury and as a reminder to other motel and hotel owners that they are responsible for taking whatever actions they can to prevent criminal activity on their property.

Caswell is represented by Atty. Scott Bulloch of the Institute for Justice, which took the case Pro Bono. Bulloch has said for months that the seizure is unconstitutional and that the case is really about money. According to the federal seizure laws, the Tewksbury Police Department would be entitled to 80 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the motel and land. Currently, the property has an estimated value of $1.3 million.

More on the Motel Caswell Court Case:

Caswell To Feds: I Won't Let You Take My Motel

UPDATED: Caswells Lose Round 1, Forfeiture Case Heading To Trial

UPDATED Poll Of The Week: Should The DOJ Seize The Motel Caswell?

Feds Case Against Motel Caswell Dealt a Setback

Columnist George Will Tackles The Motel Caswell Saga

 

Related Topics: Federal property seizure, Russ caswell, Scott Bulloch, U.S. District Court, and motel caswell

Tewksbury2001

7:37 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012

The town would be better off if this hotel was gone.

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bear

8:51 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012

The town would be better off if you were gone. The hotel pays taxes and has employees who support familys who support the town.

bear

8:45 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012

Wake up people. Do you think your free? Do you think you can have the american dream? Your in a dream world. You and your familys are in a police state/country. Russ Caswell how many drugs do you use NONE. How much profit have you made selling durgs NONE you do not sell drugs. You have never ever ever ever been charged with drug offenses. Yet the goverment wants you to pay the price. I do not know you Russ but I feel sorry for you. This could happen to anyone when the goverment gets greedy for $$$$$$$$. It is SAD when you have young men dying for this goverment and fighting for freedom. Then you have a goverment allowed to go forward on unjust laws against america. Shame on you Tewksbury, your sitting back and watching your freedom being taken away. The whole town should be rallying support for Russ Caswell. If you do not think this could happen to you, your fooling yourself. Stand up and be beside Mr. Caswell. It is not the hotels fault that a few low lifes used rented property to commit crimes. The goverment should be going after the criminals who give nothing for freedom. So you think your free WAKE UP.God bless you Russ and may god help you.YOU DID NOTHING WRONG.I stand with you.

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Tewksbury2001

9:28 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012

If given the choice, every Tewksbury resident would prefer this hotel be gone. That has to count for something. It hurts this town more than it helps.

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bear

9:49 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012

If given the choice i would not give up my freedom. It is not the hotel it is your freedom being taken away. it can happen to you.

A. Smart

9:38 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012

The motel is known for drugs and prostitution and has been for over twenty years. Mr caswell has turned a blind eye to the activity that goes on at his hotel and deserves what he gets. Myself beinh a tax payer am sick and tired of seeing more police officers at motel caswell than at the actual police station. Get ride of the hotel.

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bear

10:15 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012

I hear ya! I would rather watch four police officers doing a traffic detail when one officer can do the detail. I not here to bash police they have a hard job. I want you to look at the BIG picture. Freedom. Yours is being taken away as you turn a blind eye to what is happening in Tewksbury. It is not the hotel it Is the goverment being out of control. I hope they never take your property due to not liking the way you answer posted comments. Look at it this way the hotel is creating police jobs keeping the economy going which keeps the town going. Its a win win. Wish you luck and good health. please keep your freedom.

Sarah

7:50 am on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

It's NOT win win daniel c sullivan. Live near it, have your things stolen from you, drug deals going on in your neighborhood, car chases, people who have been evicted from it harassing your family as they walk past to go to try and live in Rogers Park. THERE'S NO WINNING FOR US. I don't exactly wish for the government to take it, I don't wish for Russ and family to lose anything. However, I can't stand the place that has sent nightmarish people amd events into my neighborhood since I was a child. I've always said I kinda just wish it would burn down in some accident where everybody gets out and the people who own it get the insurance money, but can't rebuild right there. In reality I really see no good solution, but trying to tell us it's win win... Do you even live in this town? People lose no matter how this goes down! You know one reason why we all don't see this as potential for us to lose our freedom too? It almost seems like for once the government is making an effort to protect those of us intimately affected by the crime that gets stuck to and then radiates out from this place.

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bear

1:01 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Yes I live in town and my taxes pay for police protection.Your taxes pay for police protection.That is what police do. Protect those of us intimately affected by the crime that gets stuck to and then radiates out from this place. What have the police done when you report things stolen? Do you call the police when you see drug deals going on in your neighborhood? Do you call the police when your family is being harrassed? Did you ask the chief to have his officer patrol your area more often? Police presence scare nightmarish people,drug dealers,prostitution and deters crime. So Sarah since your childhood to the present time, it sounds like you have a police problem not a hotel problem. Stand up for your freedom. Do you really think the goverment is making an effort to protect you?? Where was the goverment when you was a innocent child. Tell your police what is going on in your neighborhood. The police will correct it. That is what they do. Please do not give up any freedom due to crime. Fight back and keep your freedom. Do not thank the goverment for taking your neighbors freedom. You may be next. Have the criminals move not your neighborhood. whats next Jiffy Lube?. God bless and good luck.

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mike

12:11 am on Friday, November 9, 2012

This motel is so bad good luck on staying there..
God Bless you if you stay there.....

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bear

9:27 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012

Thank you Mike for your blessing. If I stay at the Caswell that will be the freedom of my chose. Not the goverments. We should all enjoy this freedom while we have it. Mike the hotel has nothing to do with whats going on. It is about the goverment stepping WAY out of bounds. I hear motel 6,7,and 8 are under investigation. Drugs and cruelly to animals [dogs] resulting in death.

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bear

6:16 pm on Saturday, November 10, 2012

OH OH !!!! Nov.10, 2012 Motel 6 has three prostitutes and Caswell Motel had one. Do the math. Motel 6 is the bad motel and Motel Caswell has improved. 3 to 1. Now the goverment has to seize Motel 6 property. I told you motel 6,7 and 8 have identical problems and Motel 6 may be worst, they have not been in town as long as Motel Caswell. Did you read the magic words . Front page Lowell Sun VICE STING, PROSITUTION STING AND THEY HIT THE JACK POT. See what happens when police do thier job. One of the prostitutes wants to get the hell out of Tewksbury, she admitted guilt and wants to go to Maine. How can the goverment blame a hotel owner for not wanting to do police work. It Is the police officers job to fight crime and they did one heck of a job on this sting. keep up the good work Tewksbury Police. Thank You.

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