The key point in my comment is "closed on their house for cash." It isn't unheard of to carry around such a massive pile of cash even if you aren't a drug dealer.

The end of this particular story was "charged with several felonies, plead guilty and received probation" so it's safe to assume this cash wasn't a civil asset forfeiture, and certainly wasn't from the sale of a house.

They charged him with money laundering. He plead guilty to attempted money laundering. I don't know the exact laws he was charged with breaking.