R.I. Police Begin Spending 'Google Money'
Five Rhode Island law enforcement agencies say they're still working out how to spend well over $100 million that's left from a $230 million settlement.
Five Rhode Island law enforcement agencies are faced with an enviable problem: what to do with $230 million forfeited by Google Inc.?
Investigators from local agencies are entitled to the money because they helped a federal investigation into the search engine's distribution of ads for illegal prescription drug sales. In 2011, Google agreed to forfeit $500 million, and last year the U.S. attorney announced the agencies that helped would receive shares ranging from $5 million to $60 million.
Since then, the Rhode Island agencies have spent or committed tens of millions of dollars in what's known colloquially as "Google money" to better fund police pensions, buy new police cars, upgrade technology and purchase weapons. They say they're still working out how to spend well over $100 million that's left.
Read the full Associated Press story.
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