Category Archives: Forfeiture

Justice Department, Southern District of Georgia, Have a Good Year in Terms of Asset Forfeitures

By Anthony Lake on January 13th, 2014 Posted in Forfeiture

As mentioned on Savannahnow.com, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia has announced that it collected over $71 million in civil, criminal and asset forfeiture actions in fiscal year 2013, both on its own and working with partner Federal agencies. This is the largest total in the history of the Office. The… Continue Reading

KY Attorney Bryan Coffman Ordered to Forfeit Millions from Oil-Drilling Scam

By Anthony Lake on April 17th, 2012 Posted in Forfeiture, Fraud

Lexington, Kentucky, attorney Bryan Coffman was convicted last year in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on eight counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, 10 counts of money laundering and one count of money laundering conspiracy. His wife, Megan Coffman, was acquitted of the… Continue Reading

Diamond Store Owner Arthur Hiaeve Acquitted on Federal Money Laundering Charges on Venue Grounds

By Anthony Lake on June 13th, 2011 Posted in Acquittal, Forfeiture, Venue

Arthur "Avi" Hiaeve, owner of the Manhattan diamond store, Hiaeve & Co., was acquitted last Wednesday on money laundering charges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. According to Reuters, Senior District Judge Allyne Ross granted Mr. Hiaeve’s motion for judgment of acquittal on the seven counts of laundering drug… Continue Reading

Court in Rothstein $ 1.6 Billion Fraud Case Asserts Jurisdiction Over Assets

By Anthony Lake on December 8th, 2009 Posted in Forfeiture

As reported by Law.com, yesterday, U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn of the Southern District of Florida issued an order requested by the government to preserve all assets of accused Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein for forfeiture. Rothstein is alleged to have defrauded investors of an $1.6 billion–according to the most recent estimates–by soliciting investments in… Continue Reading

Fort Lauderdale Attorney Scott Rothstein Pleads Not Guilty to Information Alleging $1.2 Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme

By Anthony Lake on December 3rd, 2009 Posted in False Claims, Forfeiture, Fraud, High Profile Cases, Money Laundering, Securities Fraud

In response to allegations uncomfortably similar to those against former New York celebrity lawyer and arch Ponzi-schemer Marc Dreier, Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein, head of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler, P.A., appeared in response to a criminal information in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday. The information charges… Continue Reading

Eleventh Circuit Gives New Strength to Defendants’ Right to Post-Indictment, Pre-trial Hearing Regarding Restraint of Assets Needed to Pay Counsel of Defendants’ Choice

By Anthony Lake on August 27th, 2009 Posted in Forfeiture

Conflicts frequently arise in criminal cases between the Government seeking forfeiture or restraint of substantial assets of the defendant on the one hand, and the defendant who seeks to use the assets alleged to be subject to forfeiture to retain counsel of his or her choice pursuant to his or her Sixth Amendment rights. The… Continue Reading