A new crime lab under construction in Tucson, Ariz. will be funded by $17.7 million seized in a crime committed four years ago, according to Attorney General Terry Goddard.
The announcement was made Wednesday at the current facility - which will receive an overhaul in the new construction project.
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The new facility will have an added DNA testing lab and an indoor firing range, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said. The building will also get a stable electrical system and infrastructure overhaul. Recent electrical system malfunctions resulted in damaging $100,000 of DNA testing equipment.
The funds for construction became available following the settlement of a fraud case against C.P. Direct - a Scottsdale-based Internet product sales company. The company marketed bogus nutritional supplements, investigators said. $4 million of the seized cash was returned to victims, but the bulk of the money was left to the state when many victims were reluctant to come forward and claim a refund.
The current crime lab, which Napolitano said is overcrowded, handles about 10,000 cases a year, and covers the needs of all agencies in southern Arizona. A news release issued by Napolitano's office said the new facility will allow for five to seven new positions in Tucson.
Administrators hope to break ground this summer
