In a firm move to clamp down on alleged Russian sanction dodgers, the Justice Department has set sights on seizing two high-end condos in Bal Harbour, Florida. According to the Southern District of Florida's prosecutors, the properties are tied to Viktor Perevalov and Valeri Abramov, Russian businessmen slapped with sanctions for their ties to military action in Ukraine. The Justice Department announced the civil forfeiture complaint, a stark reminder of Uncle Sam's long arm when it comes to enforcing international law.
The luxury suites, located at the upscale 10295 Collins Avenue, are believed to be held in violation of the IEEPA and OFAC sanctions. According to a statement obtained by the US Attorney's Office, coming with a price tag of around $2.5 million and the Department feels have a case that is strong. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the aggression fending commitment and to holding Putin's financial facilitators responsible, "That is why today we are announcing several additional enforcement actions...to seize assets of sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military."
Per the allegations, engineering this scheme involved a local real estate agent only identified as R.S., who used a minor, a family member of Perevalov's, to mask the true ownership of the units through a company named 1616 Collins LLC. Despite the sanctions, R.S. had apparently played a pivotal role in both transferring the titles and managing the properties illegally after the fact, including leasing them out and paying property taxes from the collected proceeds.
In the wake of the initial sanctions, after Russia's brazen annexation of Crimea, R.S., trying to skirt the imposed restrictions, helped Perevalov and Abramov transfer the properties to an LLC, which was a clear violation of the sanctions. FBI Director Christopher Wray reiterated their resolve, "The FBI remains steadfast in our efforts to disrupt and hold accountable the criminals supporting the Russian War," in a statement picked up by the press.
Investigations spearheaded by the FBI in Miami received support from local resources, including the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department, as they dig deeper into this convoluted entanglement of alleged money laundering and sanctions evasion. The Justice Department's Task Force KleptoCapture, an initiative introduced to counter such illicit financial activities stemming from the Russian invasion, is actively coordinating this enforcement action.
However, it is important to understand that the civil forfeiture complaint remains as an allegation and until proven in the court, the properties remain in legal limbo. The Southern District of Florida's court documents can be browsed for more detail on the case, with the specifics available under case number 24-cv-20687.
