'Drug Tax' Law Used To Seize Man's Property

After a year-long investigation, Burke County narcotics officers staged a raid at a home Thursday morning, using a North Carolina tax law to seize almost everything there.

Mark Allen Setzer, charged with felony possession of cocaine, saw most of his possessions picked up by officers.

Under what’s known as the drug tax law, the state can collect taxes on illegal drugs from those found to be in possession of them.

Officers seized everything from a dune buggy to a wide-screen TV, even taking cars and a dump truck parked in the yard.

“We woke up this morning about 8:30 and they taking everything. We don’t know what’s going on. In shock, amazed,” said neighbor Leslie Young.

Sgt. Rick Hasson, with the Burke County Narcotics Task Force, said, “Due to the amount of drugs that have gone in and out of here, we are executing the tax warrants.”

Deputies said they made undercover buys at the home involving cocaine. Under the tax law, a person can be taxed $50 by the state for each gram of the drug.

Setzer’s bill, according to investigators, is right at $1 million.

When asked, Setzer would only say that he was unaware of the drug tax law.

Deputies said that everything seized today will be sold at a state auction in Raleigh.