--- description: An internal probe found the bureau is holding two tons more drugs than records accounted showed title: FBI Inquiry Finds Rampant Mishandling of Evidence Across the County image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Law Enforcement](/tag/law-enforcement/) ## Law Enforcement Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # FBI Inquiry Finds Rampant Mishandling of Evidence  by [Denver Nicks](/author/denver-nicks/)  ## Denver Nicks Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 19, 2014 8:38 PM CUT  by [Denver Nicks](/author/denver-nicks/)  ## Denver Nicks Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 19, 2014 8:38 PM CUT An internal review of the FBI’s evidence handling procedures [found](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/20/us/politics/fbi-evidence-keeping-criticized.html "undefined") a system rife with serious errors, according to a new report, including evidence mislabeled, mishandled or lost altogether, and in every region of the United States. The survey of more than 41,000 pieces of evidence found the FBI holding less money but more guns and drugs than records indicated, the New York _Times_ reports. Officials say most problems are the result of the FBI’s move in 2012 from a paper-based to a digital accounting system. The review could complicate criminal prosecutions throughout the U.S. [Read more at the _Times_](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/20/us/politics/fbi-evidence-keeping-criticized.html "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3642662/fbi-mishandled-evidence/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3642662/fbi-mishandled-evidence/"},"headline":"FBI Inquiry Finds Rampant Mishandling of Evidence","datePublished":"2014-12-19T20:38:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:01:53.993Z","description":"An internal probe found the bureau is holding two tons more drugs than records showed","url":"https://time.com/3642662/fbi-mishandled-evidence/","keywords":["Law Enforcement","Crime","FBI","Civil Rights","justice"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Denver Nicks","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/denver-nicks/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/law-enforcement/","name":"Law Enforcement"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3642662/fbi-mishandled-evidence/","name":"FBI Inquiry Finds Rampant Mishandling of Evidence"}}]}] ```