Audit finds more problems with gang strike force

The Minnesota Legislative Auditor found more problems with how the Metro Gang Strike Force handled vehicles it seized and were forfeited.

A follow-up report released Wednesday found the strike force transferred 19 vehicles to Cars With Heart, a for-profit organization that processes vehicle donations on behalf of nonprofits.

The strike force had seized the cars, but they had not been legally forfeited to the state.

Eleven of the cars were subsequently sold, six were scrapped, and two remain in inventory. In one case, the rightful owner of a car tried to get it back, only to find that it had been sold.

Legislative Auditor James Nobles says the report reinforces his earlier findings that the strike force mismanaged seized cash and cars: "Here was another episode in which the Metro Gang Strike Force did not handle its business affairs in a very orderly way," he said.

In all, the auditors say the strike force "sold" 29 vehicles to the company but never sent the company a bill. Cars with Heart says it would have paid, if someone had asked.