SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEWS GROUP To the Judges: Itwas a case of alleged, brazen highway robbery with a cast of surprising suspects. In January 2022, Souther California News Group Investigative Reporter Scott Schwebke received a tip that Pennsylvania armored car company, Empyreal Logistics, had filed a federal lawsuit alleging that San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputies had twice pulled over its vehicles and illegally confiscated more than $1 million in proceeds being transported from licensed cannabis businesses to financial institutions. Digging much deeper than the lawsuit that demanded that the Sheriffs Department refrain from future illegal seizures, Schwebke obtained search warrants and audio of the vehicle stop that raised questions about the deputies’ actions. He also uncovered information and statistics showing that the Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Department of Justice may have been attempting to exploit the conflict between state and federal laws governing marijuana to their advantage. The response from San Bemardino County Sheriff Shannon D. Dicus to Schwebke's reporting was swift. He took to social media and also filed a court motion defending his deputies actions, describing Empyreal's allegations as a “special interest crusade” against a lawful civil forfeiture. However, three months later after additional reporting by Schwebke, the Sheriff's Department and Department of Justice quietly reversed course and agreed to return the $1.1 million seized from Empyreal. Empyreal attorneys described the repayment as groundbreaking and unusual, noting the federal government rarely retums confiscated cash of such a large amount, especially in a high-profile case receiving national attention.