Month: May 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Fijian law enforcement executed a seizure warrant freezing the Motor Yacht Amadea (the Amadea), a 348-foot luxury vessel owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. Fijian law enforcement, with the support and assistance of the FBI, acted pursuant to a mutual legal assistance request from the U.S. Department of Justice following issuance of a seizure warrant from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which found that the Amadea is subject to forfeiture based on probable cause of violations of U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), money laundering and conspiracy.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Kerimov as part of a group of Russian oligarchs who profit from the Russian government through corruption and its malign activity around the globe, including the occupation of Crimea. In sanctioning Kerimov, the Treasury Department also cited Kerimov as an official of the Government of the Russian Federation and a member of the Russian Federation Counsel.

According to court documents, Kerimov owned the Amadea after his designation. Additionally, Kerimov and those acting on his behalf and for his benefit caused U.S. dollar transactions to be routed through U.S. financial institutions for the support and maintenance of the Amadea.

“This ruling should make clear that there is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate U.S. laws. And there is no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enable the Russian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine.”

“Last month, I warned that the department had its eyes on every yacht purchased with dirty money,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This yacht seizure should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide – not even in the remotest part of the world. We will use every means of enforcing the sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine.”

“This seizure demonstrates the FBI’s persistence in pursuing sanctioned Russian oligarchs attempting to evade accountability for their role in jeopardizing our national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to seek out those individuals who contribute to the advancement of Russia’s malign activities and ensure they are brought to justice, regardless of where, or how, they attempt to hide.”

“This seizure of Suleiman Kerimov’s vessel, the Amadea, nearly 8,000 miles from Washington, D.C., symbolizes the reach of the Department of Justice as we continue to work with our global partners to disrupt the sense of impunity of those who have supported corruption and the suffering of so many,” said Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “This Task Force will continue to bring to bear every resource available in this unprecedented, multinational series of enforcement actions against the Russian regime and its enablers.”

“The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to contribute our expertise in support of Task Force efforts to take possession of seized assets of Russian oligarchs during these forfeiture operations,” said Director Ronald L. Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

The seizure was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

Upon receipt of a mutual legal assistance request from the United States, Fijian authorities executed the request, obtaining a domestic seizure warrant from a Fijian court.

The Amadea, International Maritime Organization number 1012531, is believed to be worth approximately $300 million or more. The yacht is now in Lautoka, Fiji.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Canberra, Australia, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji.

Trial Attorney Andrew D. Beaty of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney Joshua L. Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are handling the seizure. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Fijian authorities for their cooperation in this matter.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

BROOKLYN – Today, May 5, Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York will lead a press conference with Anne Milgram, Administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ricky J. Patel, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York Office, Michael Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge, FBI New York Field Office, Captain Thomas Kelly, Commanding Officer of the Drug Enforcement Task Force New York City Police Department, Lieutenant Tim Mannix and Senior Investigator Fabricio Plaskocinski, New York State Police to discuss the extradition of Dairo Antonio Úsuga David “Otoniel,” the leader of the Clan del Gulfo drug trafficking organization.

WHEN: Today, Thursday, May 5, at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Attend in-person at the U.S. Attorney’s Office library 271-A Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201 or via videoconference, details on the following page.

PRESS: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials. In-person press should arrive at 1:30 p.m.

NOTE: COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed – face coverings must be worn at all times.

Press attending via livestream can ask questions through the chat function of the video conferencing.

Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to 347-988-4580 or John.Marzulli@usdoj.gov and Danielle.Hass@usdoj.gov

Please silence all cell phones and electronic devices before the start of the proceeding. 

LIVESTREAM INFORMATION:

Event Number: 2764 060 7803

Event Password: EDNYpc22

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To join this online event:

1. Go to https://usao.webex.com/usao/j.php?MTID=ef033c01c22f290d3158a3cddd1cf6388

2. Enter the event password: EDNYpc22

3. Click “Join Now”.

4. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen to join the teleconference.

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To only join the audio conference

To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the event, or call the number below and enter the access code.

US Toll: +1-415-527-5035

Global call-in numbers: https://usao.webex.com/usao/globalcallin.php?MTID=e722dac8d1f4faed4e65c97d00e57b3c4

Access code: 2764 060 7803

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

The Justice Department today entered into an agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Columbus, Ohio. The department reached the agreement with Badrivishal LLC, which owns and operates the hotel. The agreement requires a series of modifications to provide better access for customers with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. 

The Civil Rights Division launched an investigation after it received a complaint from a couple who claimed that they reserved accessible rooms after being told by hotel staff that the rooms had accessible “roll-in” showers fitted for wheelchairs. Upon arrival during the Thanksgiving holiday, neither of the bathrooms had a roll-in shower and the couple were forced to find a different hotel.

The ADA requires that hotels provide access to individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. After conducting an architectural assessment, the department alleged that the hotel here failed to comply with the accessibility standards under the ADA and presented barriers for people using wheelchairs. These barriers prevented such individuals from entering showers in the room, safely transferring into beds, enjoying the breakfast offered at the hotel, accessing the front desk and getting from accessible parking into the hotel.

“As the country reopens from the COVID-19 pandemic and people travel with more frequency, people who use wheelchairs should not face barriers at hotels because of their disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to enforcing the rights of people with disabilities so that they may travel worry-free and enjoy access to hotels.”

Under the agreement, the hotel will remove these barriers by modifying parking spaces, building entrances, public restrooms, the front desk, drinking fountains and routes within the hotel to ensure that they are accessible. The hotel will also ensure that its rooms, including bathrooms, that are required and advertised as accessible to people who use wheelchairs are, in fact, accessible. The agreement further requires the hotel’s managers, front desk personnel and reservations staff undergo training regarding the ADA’s requirements to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Finally, the hotel will pay $20,000 in damages to the couple harmed by the discrimination.

People interested in finding out more about the agreement, or the ADA can call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Good morning. It is an honor to be here in Cincinnati. I am joined by members of the Criminal Division who serve with me in Washington, D.C., as well as several attorneys and legal staff from our Heath Care Fraud Unit, all of whom have dedicated their service to this region.

Today, I have the privilege of announcing the Department of Justice’s 2022 Opioid Enforcement Action, which highlights our latest efforts in responding to the nation’s opioid epidemic.

An epidemic that, in the last year alone, caused the tragic loss of life for more than 75,000 people in the United States due to overdose.

This staggering figure makes clear that opioid overdoses continue to claim the lives of far too many Americans. Each death serves as a harsh reminder of families mourning the unimaginable loss of their loved ones, and the communities ravaged by drug addiction.

The cases announced today include one such loss. As charged in the indictment of a Kentucky dentist, in August 2020, a patient allegedly died from the morphine prescriptions this dentist issued. The department seeks to hold accountable this dentist and the other defendants charged for allegedly unlawfully prescribing opioids — conduct that has helped fuel the opioid epidemic in this country.

Our 2022 Opioid Enforcement Action includes charges against 14 individuals, including 12 medical professionals, who have been charged across eight federal districts with crimes related to the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.

Together, these individuals are allegedly responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 5.1 million opioid pills.

It is, of course, important to remember that these charges are allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until they are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

I’m making today’s announcement just over three years after the creation of the department’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force, a collaborative initiative that includes prosecutors from the Health Care Unit, prosecutors from our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. It is designed to swiftly and effectively prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids.

The ARPO Strike Force was created as part of the department’s solemn promise to employ every tool at our disposal to address the opioid crisis. That means getting out of Washington, D.C., and into the communities most affected. We continue to uphold that promise daily, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and law enforcement partners throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Today, I’m speaking to you from the Southern District of Ohio, where I’m joined by my friend and colleague, U.S. Attorney Ken Parker, along with U.S. Attorney Will Thompson of the Southern District of West Virginia; U.S. Attorney Carlton Shier of the Eastern District of Kentucky; and U.S. Attorney Trey Hamilton of the Eastern District of Tennessee. We are also joined by our law enforcement partners Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services Christi Grimm; FBI Special Agent in Charge William Rivers; and DEA Assistant Administrator Kristi O’Malley. Together, over the last three years, we have made significant strides in holding medical professionals accountable for unlawfully prescribing opioids, conduct that has played a crucial and harmful role in the opioid epidemic.

To date, ARPO has charged over 100 individuals, over half of whom were prescribers, with crimes related to the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids. Together, these defendants are alleged to have issued prescriptions for over 100 million opioid pills. Our efforts have resulted in over 60 convictions.

Our work sends a clear message: medical professionals who violate their oath to do no harm, and instead, exploit vulnerable patients struggling with addiction will be held accountable. Those who peddle opioids for profit are not just committing crimes of greed. These are crimes that make this country’s opioid crisis even worse, often with deadly results.

Today, we take the opportunity to commemorate this historic collaboration, and the headway that has been made, all while recognizing that our work is far from done. The department’s response to the opioid epidemic remains nimble; we will continue to evolve and expand to address the needs of the people in the parts of the country where the epidemic has hit hardest. I stand ready to renew the promise made three years ago: the ARPO Strike Force and the Department of Justice will continue to stand with its partners to combat this epidemic, and to seek to prevent the next tragic loss of life.