United States v. Damian Phillips

DIANA GRIBBON MOTZ, Circuit Judge:

In this civil forfeiture case, the United States claims that $200,000 in cash discovered in a storage unit leased by Byron Phillips is subject to forfeiture because the cash is connected to the "exchange [of] a controlled substance." See 21 U.S.C. § 881 (a)(6). Damian Phillips, Byron's brother, seeks to intervene, contending that the money is his life savings and has nothing to do with drugs. The district court granted the Government summary judgment, holding that Damian lacked standing to intervene. We affirm. Although claimants in civil forfeiture cases…