The feds alleged Columbia Liquors operated a "front door register" for legitimate retail sales that brought in an average of $1,570.12 a day earlier this year, and a separate "back door register" for sales to Illinois liquor stores that brought in $42,347.76 per day, according to court documents.

The Patels did not immediately return messages.

In court, their attorney argued they run a legal business, that some of money seized was from lottery sales, and that the federal government violated their Fourth Amendment right to be free from illegal searches and seizures.

"Plaintiff is (stopped) from obtaining a forfeiture judgment because it obtained the seizure warrant through incorrect, misleading, or incomplete allegations," defense attorney Glenn Seiden wrote in response to the federal complaint. "Plaintiff cannot obtain a forfeiture judgment because it has not acted in good faith."

Liquor excise tax rates are significantly lower in Indiana than in Chicago: $0.115 for beer in Indiana compared to $0.611 in Chicago, $0.47 for wine in Indiana compared to $2.52 in Chicago, $2.68 for liquor in Indiana compared to $13.73 in Chicago when state, city and Cook county taxes are added up.