Being investigated by FBI

[and1player38]

I live in Texas and I suppose I originally started to be investigated for child porn last September. The FBI came to my dorm and took my laptop and an external harddrive, later that week they came by and dropped off the search warrant to search my computer as well as a receipt that indicating what they had confiscated. Now it's getting towards late February, I haven't heard anything from the FBI since they last gave me the search warrant and receipt and that was in September. How long can they keep everything of mine for? I need everything back for school and this entire thing has just been a waste of time and has caused a lot of anguish. My parents had decided to hire an attorney for me in September as precaution; however, he's pretty worthless to deal with or else I'd ask him. Thanks.

 

[AlanShore]

Hire a better lawyer.

 

[seniorjudge]

Hire a better lawyer.

I agree. Get someone who will represent you.

 

[smutlydog]

I live in Texas and I suppose I originally started to be investigated for child porn last September. The FBI came to my dorm and took my laptop and an external harddrive, later that week they came by and dropped off the search warrant to search my computer as well as a receipt that indicating what they had confiscated. Now it's getting towards late February, I haven't heard anything from the FBI since they last gave me the search warrant and receipt and that was in September. How long can they keep everything of mine for? I need everything back for school and this entire thing has just been a waste of time and has caused a lot of anguish. My parents had decided to hire an attorney for me in September as precaution; however, he's pretty worthless to deal with or else I'd ask him. Thanks.

They have 5 years to file a case from the time they think you commited a crime. So I guess the answer to question is 5 years.

 

[Some Random Guy]

How long can they keep everything of mine for? I need everything back for school...

If you need a computer for school, buy a new one. You will not get your computer back until the investigation is closed. You may have graduated by the time that happens.

 

[and1player38]

My attorney is a great and very established attorney; however still he's somewhat difficult to take in. I also like to see what other people have to say.

They have 5 years to file a case from the time they think you committed a crime. So I guess the answer to question is 5 years.

Would they really keep a case open just to keep my laptop from me? Wouldn't I just make sense to close the case and move on?

 

[garrula lingua]

My attorney is a great and very established attorney; however still he's somewhat difficult to take in. I also like to see what other people have to say.


Would they really keep a case open just to keep my laptop from me? Wouldn't I just make sense to close the case and move on?

No. But they'll keep it to investigate child porn.
It takes a while to do a forensics exam of computer & there are quite a few cases.

Texas is very active in prosecuting child porn.

 

[smutlydog]

My attorney is a great and very established attorney; however still he's somewhat difficult to take in. I also like to see what other people have to say.


Would they really keep a case open just to keep my laptop from me? Wouldn't I just make sense to close the case and move on?

Visit prisontalk.com and do a search
It's the same with white collar and drug crimes. There are people who get busted for drugs and bonded out and then 4 years later get indicted. Some white collar criminals get a visit from the FBI and are only asked a few questions then five years later US marshals show up at the door with arrest warrants. The feds don't seem to have the same concept of time as the rest of us. I don't believe the "still investigating" explanation. The prosecutors get promotions based on the longest prison sentences so I would think that they toss the cases involving relatively shorter sentences to the side and focus on the bigger cases. If they have time later they file them or punt these small cases back to the state.

It's just a theory I have which many times theory is the only thing you have to work with when it comes to an federal agency that works in mysterious unpredictable ways.