The Muskogee County District Attorney says that his office will return $53,234 that was seized from a man during a traffic stop that resulted in a drug-related charge.
Police seized the money from Eh Wah, who lives in Dallas and is originally from Myanmar, on Feb. 27, when he was pulled over on U.S. 69 for having a broken brake light. Authorities say Wah consented to a search of his vehicle.
Wah is a tour manager for Burmese Christian rock band Klo & Kweh Music Team.
Wah told authorities the money was raised during the band's tour for a Thai orphanage and a nonprofit Christian school in Myanmar.
District Attorney Orvil Loge said Monday that he dismissed the drug charge. Loge said that he believed that the burden of proof in the case would not be met.
Earlier on Monday, The Washington Post published this story about Wah's arrest, the language barrier between him and law enforcement officials, and Oklahoma's civil asset forfeiture laws.
