GPD agrees to return property of Colliers employees

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Just before a scheduled hearing on a motion for the immediate return of the property of three Colliers employees that was seized during a raid on their office, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) settled with the plaintiffs, agreeing to return their property within 7 days.

Jason Hurst, Nicola Moreland, and Bennett Harrell, represented by attorney Jeff Childers, claimed that they were not involved in the criminal case that prompted the raid and just happened to be in the office at the time, so their property should not have been seized. They had requested the return of Moreland’s laptop and cell phone, Harrell’s cell phones, and Hurst’s cell phone, laptop, watch, backup drives, and memory cards.

Judge David Kreider ordered today that the property must be returned within 7 days, including electronic copies of any copies made by GPD or a statement that the item was not copied. GPD will also retain copies of the information on the devices for potential use in the original case.