When Greenville County deputies conducted an undercover sting at the strip club, Platinum Plus, Sheriff Steve Loftis said the operation was funded by $26,000 in seized drug assets.According to the U.S. Justice Department, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office collected $336,932 last year through civil asset forfeitures.The agency is not alone. In the last five years, law enforcement agencies in South Carolina have received $22.7 million in forfeiture revenues.The limited government group, Institute for Justice, has given the state a D-minus for its high-rate of civil forfeiture cases."South Carolina is more focused on policing for profit, taking money off the streets, than it is for arresting bad guys and getting drugs off the street," managing attorney Lee McGrath said.McGrath said the state's civil forfeiture laws offer little protection for property owners. He said when assets have been seized, often without criminal charges being filed, a person must prove that their belongings are not forfeitable by a preponderance of evidence."A person does not need to be charged or even convicted of a crime to lose their property. You can be acquitted of a charge in criminal court, but still lose your property through civil forfeiture," McGrath said.McGrath said states like New Mexico, Nebraska and Florida have made "significant reforms" to their civil forfeiture laws by requiring that a person be convicted of a crime before they are subject to civil forfeiture."It's the responsibility of the South Carolina Legislature to fully fund law enforcement. Law enforcement should not take it on itself to be both the purse and the sword to raise its own money," McGrath said.Click here to see how much money South Carolina law enforcement agencies collected through civil forfeitures in 2014-2015.

When Greenville County deputies conducted an undercover sting at the strip club, Platinum Plus, Sheriff Steve Loftis said the operation was funded by $26,000 in seized drug assets.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office collected $336,932 last year through civil asset forfeitures.

The agency is not alone. In the last five years, law enforcement agencies in South Carolina have received $22.7 million in forfeiture revenues.

The limited government group, Institute for Justice, has given the state a D-minus for its high-rate of civil forfeiture cases.

"South Carolina is more focused on policing for profit, taking money off the streets, than it is for arresting bad guys and getting drugs off the street," managing attorney Lee McGrath said.

McGrath said the state's civil forfeiture laws offer little protection for property owners. He said when assets have been seized, often without criminal charges being filed, a person must prove that their belongings are not forfeitable by a preponderance of evidence.

"A person does not need to be charged or even convicted of a crime to lose their property. You can be acquitted of a charge in criminal court, but still lose your property through civil forfeiture," McGrath said.

McGrath said states like New Mexico, Nebraska and Florida have made "significant reforms" to their civil forfeiture laws by requiring that a person be convicted of a crime before they are subject to civil forfeiture.

"It's the responsibility of the South Carolina Legislature to fully fund law enforcement. Law enforcement should not take it on itself to be both the purse and the sword to raise its own money," McGrath said.

Click here to see how much money South Carolina law enforcement agencies collected through civil forfeitures in 2014-2015.