I am fundraising for myself as I begin the process of filing a Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit. I'm on a time clock due to the Statutes of Limitations regarding certain Federal filings.

This need comes from a nightmare that began on a beautiful fall afternoon and turned into the most horrible day of my life, followed by the most painful decades for myself and my family. Especially my four daughters, who were between 16 and 11 at the time. In short, I had been wrongfully arrested and given a $30M Bond. Murders don't get that amount of a bond!

Over the years that followed my arrest and detainment, testimony and hearings revealed devastating misconduct tied to the task force and those involved. An entire multi-county drug task force was disbanded, along with the Director and Deputy Director of the Task Force which were a Master Sergeant and Sergeant of the State police respectively. Just a day or two prior to their testimony.

What happened to me came at an enormous cost to my life, my daughters' lives, and my family as a whole. I lost my freedom and home. A home that I worked hard to obtain. I was building it for my young family. All of my vehicles and every penny in any of my accounts, taken. That's part of what they were after to begin with. This process is called asset forfeiture, where law enforcement seizes property believed to be connected to drug crimes, often keeping the proceeds for state use. Well they kept ALL of mine without any proof of drug crimes. Leaving my family penniless, car less without food and the girls without even their laptops for school. Without a trial, this is the game they play. My daughters lost every pet they had while I was detained in a cell for the next 2.5 years due to that $30M bond. Their home, our home was foreclosed on while detained. I obviously lost all the money that I had put down with a builder, regarding the house I was having built.

After 19.5 years, yes 19.5 YEARS on the day that I was set for trial, yet again!! The State dropped all of the charges against me that I was initially indicted with, charges that had carried the weight of 50 years or more in prison if found guilty. My last attorney for 9.5 years couldn't ever get it to trial. The State didn't want that publicity. All those previously arrested forced to take a plea deal due to this group, would have come back and demanded new trials let alone lawsuits. The credibility of the State Police, States Attorney's Office, Attorney General's Office was all on the line. So...the 19.5 years of stall was their game plan for damage control. Protect and serve? Not for the community. To protect and serve themselves. Protect their boy in blue. Who happened not only to be a State police Officer, but a Field Narcotics Supervisor to that defunct drug task force.

Testimony during a hearing exposed that he was having an affair with my then wife. Definitely why it was made sure that I wasn't coming back home. Not with a $30M Bond.

Now I am trying to pursue justice through a Federal Civil Rights lawsuit, but the costs are immense. Donations will help cover filing fees, deposition fees, expert witness fees, attorney fees, court fees, travel-related expenses, and other lawsuit-related costs. If you are able to give, share, or simply keep me in your thoughts, I would be deeply grateful. Your support is a true blessing and may also help shine a light for others who have been wrongfully incarcerated by this group!!

I'm including a paper that my youngest daughter wrote a few years after my arrest. Sickened me that she could still bring back those memories so vividly in her life. That pain.

Thank you again for your time. Her paper is below.

The feeling of betrayal runs through my mind every day. All hope is lost. My daddy tells me to stay optimistic, but I'm not sure how I'm supposed to. I'm continuously being lied to, all promises are being broken. For him to be as far away as he is, makes being optimistic the hardest part of my daily routine. I grew up living a dream life full of luxury, but one thing after another tore me down. And everything I used to know started to slip away. My life was quickly being degraded like it never existed. I lost the pets that were my every day comfort, the friends I thought I had, the home that I grew up in and my family. The family that used to bond, now were separated.

I run into my mom's arms crying receiving warmth and relief. Heart wrenching tears, leaving my head pounding. Heavy breathing and adrenaline are rushing through my veins. My home is destroyed and what was once my family was destroyed. Police lights flashing all around me makes my head spin. My mom is crying too, but her tears are filled with disgust."Where's daddy?" I ask intently. My mom shakes her head, tears rolling down her stained cheeks. Saying, "Daddy's not going to be around much anymore." My heart cracks as my face fills with tension. It wasn't until later that night that I broke down to cry as I fell asleep. The next day I returned home from spending the night at my grandmas. To help my mom clean up from the police search. I organized from morning to night, but I couldn't bare holding my tears in. All the recent events happened one after another. Now that is all done, I prayed my life would slowly mold back into place. It's when I got to school that next day that hope had failed me. Every step I took continued to get worse.I was humiliated and made fun of. I felt invisible to those around me. It wasn't long before the ruthless comments began. I couldn't handle putting the lies and the comments together. No one knew the story except me.The tears drained from my eyes all day. I was sick to my stomach and I couldn't comprehend how kids so young could bring so much pain to one another. This was the moment that I lost the friends closest to me. I was alone, in the darkness that seemed to surround me. Once school got out I was filled with relief. But instead of feeling comfort I arrived home to feeling worse than I did before. The police contaminated my home, once more. They came to take all of the electronics that we owned. At that moment my hope sank another time. A moment later we received a phone call. It was my dad. The feeling of our conversation was unimaginable. I shook, I wasn't sure what to say. When another voice interrupted our discussion with "one minute left". I let all my tears go. I didn't want to hang up the phone. I knew once I did, I wouldn't hear from my dad for possibly days later. I remember his last words, they were cut off. I remember him saying. " I love y..." I collapsed to the floor. My tears soaking into the hardwood flooring. It was hard falling asleep that night. I closed my eyes while breathing heavy. Hours passed and my eyes glowing from the midnight sky, staring out my bedroom window. The days continued to repeat. I went to school, came home and then went to sleep. It was a week later that I arrived home to more news. My mom was crying just like a week ago, as she held up a piece of paper. It was news that we weren't physically capable of adjusting to. On the top of the paper in big bold letters it said "FORECLOSURE NOTICE." My mom explained that this was going to be a drastic change. We had no money to move anywhere, no transportation and not much time. My family spent our days packing. We had garage sales to get rid of everything that stood in sight. The dates on the calendar flew right by me. I realized that I experienced reality. The day began to grow near when we finally found a place to call home, although we had to make sacrifices. The following day I arrived home for more news. "I'm so sorry Erika. I had to take the dogs to the shelter and the cats to a woman in another neighborhood." "You're kidding me right?"I questioned with disbelief. "I'm sorry" she said. "It's fine I guess"....I insisted. I can't believe she would do such a thing, give away my dogs and cats? I hate her! It was just moments later that I was drowned in my own vomit. I was lightheaded and sick to my stomach. My tears piled on top of one another. I shook. The feeling was unexplainable. Saute', Chip, Dale, Madeline, Pogo, Dustin, Abraxis and Babyboo...they're gone!

As years went by seasons changed colors, the snowflakes fell, the tulips blossomed and the sun shined brightly. Through all the Holidays tears shed. They weren't the same , since my dad left. I visited my dad in jail. We talked through a telephone of static. Our hands touching with a piece of glass just in between them. That was the last time I saw him. It's two and a half years later when I received a phone call. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Being optimistic is what I needed at that very moment, but all my dreams faded and I disbelieved. Once I hung up the phone it rang again. I answered unaware of the number calling through. I answered. An unfamiliar voice responded. It was a weak male's voice, it was my dad. "I love you, I'm coming home" he announced. Tears shed from my eyes. I was nervous and speechless. Once the conversation was over I went to my grandmas and sat waiting impatiently on the sofa. I couldn't grasp the fact that my dad was coming home after so long. Thoughts raced through my mind. Will he recognize me? An hour later I heard the jingle of house keys. The next thing I knew my dad was standing right in front of me.I sprinted off the sofa and jumped onto him. My arms wrapped around his neck tightly, my feet barely touching the floor. I hugged him for hours. Letting go of all the tears I was holding in for years. All I could think was. I cannot believe my birthday wish came true.

Ever since the day my dad came home my life has prospered. My grades have risen drastically. I'm now living in a temporary apartment. My family is now whole and I can continue to live strong with the support and love from my friends. I will never take anything given to me for granted. My dad was right. All I needed was to stay positive and optimistic.