Tara Mishra became a multi-millionaire by stripping at night clubs. The 33-year-old former stripper started dancing at exotic clubs at 18 and saved most of earnings.
Now that her stripping days are over, Mishra was thinking of ways to invest some of her life savings into a business. She eventually decided to open a night club with her business partners, Rajesh and Marina Dheri. But to start the business, Mishra gave Rajesh and Marina $1 million in cash to transport from California to New Jersey in a Mercedes SUV.
During their trip, Rajesh and Marina were stopped by police in Nebraska for speeding. The police checked the truck of the SUV and confiscated the money because they figured it was related to drug dealing.
Although it wasn’t the smartest idea to transport $1 million in cash across the country in the SUV, Mishra proved that the money was obtained legally. During her trial, she displayed tax returns that proved how she made her money. She also showed documents that backed her claim that she was investing in a nightclub with Rajesh and Marina.
U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon ordered the police to return all of Mishra’s cash because there was no evidence of illegal activity.
