A traffic stop for what State Troopers say were improper lane changes along Interstate 80 in Mahoning County has turned into a windfall of nearly $775,000 for the federal government.

U.S. District Court Judge Benita Pearson has granted the government’s claim to packets of cash seized on April 21, 2020, after a Trooper pulled over a Chrysler 300 driving east near the Ohio Turnpike interchange in Jackson Township.

According to a complaint filed by the federal government, the car being driven by Alexandre Haussmann was stopped for two alleged marked lane violations.

Haussmann told the Trooper he had flown to Chicago to visit a friend and was driving back to New York in a rental car.

The Trooper reported that Haussmann appeared to be nervous, “his hands were visibly shaking, he avoided eye contact, and his speech was broken,” according to the complaint.

Haussmann “became very defensive” after he was asked to get out of the car, according to the Patrol.

Troopers said a drug-sniffing dog brought to the scene led them to believe something suspicious was in the car. Haussmann was read his rights, and the car was searched.

The complaint contains the text of a “conversation” Haussmann allegedly had with himself while sitting in the Patrol Cruiser:

F***.
F*** dude why?!
I knew it.
F***.
Idiot Idiot Idiot! F*** these cops
Dude Dude Dude Dude!
Why did this happen? F***ing luggage locks!
(Unintelligible)
I can't believe this actually happened. F***. F***. I can't live anymore. Max was right Max is always right.
So what's going to happen now is you are probably going to kill yourself.
You are a f***ing idiot Alex. You are a f***ing idiot.
You are a f*** up.
How did this happen? This is like a bad dream.
Oh my God!
You guy need a f***ing s ... .. . Why God Jesus? This is bulls***!
I should of got a luggage lock. You are a failure.
You f***. This sucks! This is so stupid this is so stupid!
Alex how? ! Why Jesus God you are such a f**ing idiot! You're fing idiot! Every decision you ever make is wrong! You always make the wrong choices. There goes my relationship with my my ..... (goes into singing and humming).
F***! Max I am sorry Max. I shouldn't have driven. Why are you like this Alex?
How and why, how and why, why and how and oh my God Alex! Alex oh my God!
You f*** you f*** !
So this is really bad.
Why are you so poor at decision making?
You are f***ing retarded. This is going to cause some permanent mental damage.
Oh my God it's all over now.
You f*** ! You had five minutes five minutes you had five minutes.
You are the worst.
How could this have possibly happen. I can't believe this. I can't believe this. I can't believe this. This is it. This is this is I am worse than t. .. . Oh my God Alex! Oh my God.  They are doing this to sweat me. But if you ... I don't know how you are going to live with yourself.
You are an idiot! A Chrysler 300 with Indiana plates.
Wow Wow.
Should have taken ... F***!
Ah man Ah man Ah man Ah man you are f*****d! Its over! Its over you probably should just commit Kermit suicide. Kermit it. Kermit suicide Alex. Dude! Dude!
Wow! This is great. I can't believe this! Absolute bulls***!
Wow.
You are so stupid! So stupid! Stupid!
You are really dumb and you are going to suffer for this probably for the rest of your life and uh and f*** Max and Justin! Just f*** them!
Wow! Wow! Wow wow wow.
F***ing angry. Being recorded. I don't like this.
You f*****d up kid. You f*****d up as bad as a f*** up f***s and now you are f*****d. And why would you ever do this?
Oh my God! o luggage locks!
Why Alex? Need to ask yourself a question here. The question you need to ask yourself is - How could you have f***ed up like this? You are so godd*** dense. You are so godd*** stupid. You are honestly just just a mistake. Your birth was an accident. Not really but how like ...
I can't believe this.
I knew it. You f***ed up you f***. Indiana plates. Chrysler 300. You are retarded. Who Who?

 

A Trooper reported finding what he believed to be marijuana residue on the floorboard and two backpacks containing 14 wrapped packages of cash.

The packages were marked and wrapped in several layers of plastic.  One of the packages was marked. "Drop A".

The complaint says Haussman admitted that he was transporting around $800,000 but didn’t claim to own the cash, denied knowing who owned it, and wouldn’t say how he got the money.

The complaint says the bags tested positive for trace amounts of marijuana.

When the cash was counted, it totaled $774,830.00.

The government laid claim to the cash, saying was likely used or was intended for illegal drug trafficking.

In filing a claim for the cash as part of a lengthy legal battle, Haussmann denied consenting to a search of his car, denied waiving his right to remain silent, denied giving Troopers permission to eavesdrop on what he said while in the Patrol cruiser, and denied improperly changing lanes, which were the reasons he was pulled over.

However, since Haussmann has refused to disclose how he got the money and from whom, Judge Pearson late last month granted the government’s motion for forfeiture.

A search of federal and local court records did not produce any record that Haussman was charged in connection with the seizure.