United States v. Real Property Identified As: Parcel XXXXX-XXXR
D.D.C.10/21/2003
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MEMORANDUM OPINION WALTON, District Judge. This controversy centers around property that the government alleges was obtained through illegal means, and which the government seeks to subject to civil forfeiture. Presently before the Court 1 are the governmentâs motion to strike the claims and answers of two putative claimants, its motion for summary judgment, and the claimantsâ motion for partial summary judgment. For the reasons that follow, the Court will deny the motion to strike, will grant in part and deny in part the governmentâs motion for summary *48 judgment, and will deny the claimantsâ motion for partial summary judgment. 2 I. Factual Background The facts that form the basis of this civil in rem action are identical to those that underlie the criminal prosecution of Dr. Kinley Howard. This civil action was filed on March 80, 2001. The government alleges in its complaint that the defendant properties in this case â real property located in St. Joe, Florida 3 and a 1997 Piper Aztec aircraft â were obtained by Dr. Howard with proceeds derived from specified unlawful activity. Specifically, the verified complaint alleges that Dr. Howard âdevised a scheme to defraud his auntâs estate depriving her estate and her heirs of approximately $207,000.â Verified Complaint for Forfeiture In Rem (âCompl.â) ¶ 9. Dr. Howardâs scheme began on December 30, 1996, after the death of his aunt, Mildred Powell, who died intestate on July 15, 1996, when Dr. Howard âpetitioned the Probate Division of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia (âSuperior Courtâ) to be appointed co-personal representative of Ms. Powellâs estate along with his mother, Lillian Powell Howard (Ms. Powellâs sister) by forging his motherâs signature on the petition....â Id. The complaint further alleges that Dr. Howard misrepresented in the petition (1) that his mother resided at his home address in Panama City, Florida, despite the fact that his mother was living in a nursing home in Lynchburg, Tennessee; (2) that the address of his podiatry business was actually his home address; (3) that he listed the value of Ms. Powellâs estate as $29,500, when the estate was actually worth over $200,000; and (4) that there were no other family members who were willing to serve as personal representative of the estate. Id. The petition also failed to list all of the estateâs heirs. Id. Furthermore, after Dr. Howard was appointed as the estateâs personal representative on January 2, 1997, he failed to notify âcertain interested parties of his appointment and transferred over $187,000 in funds from the estate into his own bank accounts for his own personal use and benefit.â Id. After acquiring control of the estate funds, Dr. Howard engaged in a series of transactions that were the basis for his criminal convictions of mail and wire fraud pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1343. For example, he mailed letters to each of the four banks which held funds belonging to Ms. Powell, indicating that he was the co-personal representative of Ms. Powellâs estate and requested that each account be closed and the funds transferred electronically to one of the two estate accounts he had established in Florida. Id. ¶ 11 . He also forged his motherâs signature on each of these letters. Id. Thereafter, between January 1997 and September 1997, Dr. Howard withdrew the funds from the two estate accounts he had established, and transferred $146,253.77 of the estate funds to his personal and business bank accounts with checks drawn on the two estate accounts. Id. ¶ 13 . He also forged his motherâs signatures on âthe majority of the[ ] checks [transferring the funds to his personal account]....â Id. These transactions formed the basis for the mail and *49 wire fraud criminal charges for which Dr. Howard was convicted in his criminal case. 4 On March 1, 1997, when Dr. Howardâs mother died, Dr. Howard failed to notify the Superior Court of her death. Id. ¶ 14 . In addition, he continued to transfer and deposit over $94,000 of Mildred Powellâs estate assets into the two estate accounts he had established, as well as transferring over $142,000 in funds from the two estate accounts into his own personal and business accounts. Id. Dr. Howard also continued to forge his deceased motherâs signature on the checks drawn on the estate accounts. Id. On August 6, 1997, Superior Court Judge Cheryl M. Long issued an order suspending Dr. Howardâs fiduciary powers over Ms. Powellâs estate. Id. ¶ 15 . Despite the suspension, Dr. Howard âcontinued to withdraw over $53,200 in funds from the Emerald Coast estate account by continuing to forge his deceased motherâs signature.â Id. On June 16, 1998, Judge Long issued a second order in which she removed Dr. Howard as the personal representative of Ms. Powellâs estate and entered a judgment against him in the amount of $207,589.99. Id. The government alleges that Dr. Howard utilized the proceeds of his illegal activity to purchase real estate located in Port St. Joe, Florida on December 29, 1997, for $202,500. 5 Id. ¶ 18 . Furthermore, Dr. Howard allegedly used the defendant aircraft, which had been paid for completely by 1995, as collateral for a loan for over $350,000 that he obtained from First National Bank of Northwest Florida (âFirst Nationalâ). Id. ¶ 22 . The transaction resulted in First National holding a lien against the aircraft in the amount of $85,000.00. Id. When Dr. Howard became delinquent on the loan, First Bank demanded payment in full, and on May 15, 2000, Dr. Howard obtained a second mortgage on the St. Joe property in the amount of $300,000, which he used to pay the balance due on his First National loan. Id. Thereafter, First National released the lien on the aircraft. 6 Based on the above facts, the government argues that the defendant real estate and aircraft are subject to forfeiture because they were purchased with the proceeds of bank, wire and mail fraud. 7 See Compl. Counts I â III. The government also alleges in Count IV of the complaint that forfeiture is appropriate because, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981 (a)(1)(C), both of the properties were purchased with the proceeds âtraceable to interstate transportation of stolen property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2314 _â This allegation refers to Dr. Howardâs removal of United States savings bonds from Ms. Powellâs apart *50 ment located in the District of Columbia to Florida, where he deposited the bonds in one of the two estate accounts he had established. Id. ¶34 . Count V of the complaint alleges that forfeiture is appropriate pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1956 (a)(1)(B), which makes it a crime to utilize âthe proceeds of specified unlawful activity....â Id. ¶38 (a), and 18 U.S.C. ¶ 1957, which criminalizes use of the âproceeds of specified unlawful activity, to wit: bank fraud.â Id. ¶ 38 (b). It is the governmentâs contention that âthe defendant aircraft as well as the defendant real property are property involved in or traceable to property involved in a violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 or 1957 and [are] therefore subject to forfeiture pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981 (a)(l)(A)[,]â because the properties were involved in transactions involving money laundering. Id. ¶ 39 . On September 5, 2003, a jury found Dr. Howard guilty in his criminal case of mail and wire fraud. 8 On December 6, 2002, this Court sentenced Dr. Howard to a forty-six month term of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, Dr. Howard was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and restitution in the amount of $156,813. Dr. Howard filed a notice of appeal of his conviction on December 16, 2002. His appeal is currently pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. II. Analysis A. Plaintiffâs Motion to Strike the Claims and Answers of Judy Howard and Kinco Aviation [# 45] The governmentâs Verified Complaint in this action was filed on March 30, 2001. An answer on behalf of the defendant properties was filed by attorney Joel W. Anders on May 1, 2001, however, the government successfully motioned the Court to have that answer stricken because a response to its motion to strike was not timely filed. Accordingly, the motion to strike was treated as conceded. Thereafter, Mr. Anders moved to withdraw as counsel for the defendant properties on November 7, 2001, after his services were terminated by Dr. Howard. Thereafter, the government moved for partial default as to the defendant aircraft, which resulted in a default being entered by the clerk of the court on December 17, 2001. This Court then granted the governmentâs motion for a default judgment against the aircraft on March 8, 2002. Subsequently, Dr. Howard filed a motion for an emergency hearing to challenge the entry of the default judgment, and a hearing on the motion was held on March 14, 2002. At that time, the Court scheduled a full evidentiary hearing for March 20, 2002, to address Dr. Howardâs arguments concerning default judgment. At the evi-dentiary hearing, Dr. Howard represented that it was his belief that his prior attorney (Mr. Anders) had responded to the *51 governmentâs verified complaint. This representation resulted in the Court vacating the default judgment and âDr. Howard [was given] 20 days from [March 20, 2002] to file any pleadings that he deem[ed] appropriate in reference to this forfeiture action.â Transcript of Proceedings dated March 20, 2002 (âTr.â) at 73. Dr. Howardâs answer to the complaint was filed on April 3, 2002. On that same date, Dr. Howardâs wife, Judy Howard, and his company, Kinco Aviation, Inc., filed a claim and answer in this action. The government thereafter filed a motion to strike these claims and the answers on the ground that they were untimely. It is clear that none of the claimants, with the exception of Citizensâ Bank, filed timely answers to this action. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 983 (a)(4)(A), âany person claiming an interest in the seized property may file a claim asserting such personâs interest in the property ... except that such claim may be filed not later than SO days after the date of service of the Governmentâs complaint .... â (emphasis added). In addition to filing a claim, the persons âasserting an interest in seized property ... shall file an answer to the Governmentâs complaint for forfeiture not later than 20 days after the date of filing the claim.â 18 U.S.C. § 983 (a)(4)(B) (emphasis added). The government argues that this Courtâs order granting Dr. Howard 20 days to file any appropriate pleadings in this matter cannot be read to permit the filings submitted on behalf of Judy Howard and Kin-co Aviation. The claimants argue, however, that the basis for this Court granting Dr. Howard additional time to file pleadings, i.e., because Dr. Howard believed that his prior counsel had filed the appropriate papers on his behalf, applies equally to Mrs. Howard and Kinco Aviation and thus, they should be afforded the same courtesy. For the reasons the Court expressed during the March 20, 2002, hearing regarding Dr. Howardâs failure to timely respond to the Verified Complaint in this matter, the Court concludes that it would be inappropriate to deny Mrs. Howard and Kinco Aviation, a company owned by Dr. and Mrs. Howard, the opportunity to also challenge the governmentâs efforts to forfeit the property at issue. See Tr. at 71-72. Accordingly, for the same reasons this Court afforded Dr. Howard additional time to challenge the forfeiture, the Court holds that the claims of Judy Howard and Kinco Aviation should not be stricken. B. The Governmentâs Motion for Summary Judgment [# 53] The government argues that it is entitled to summary judgment pursuant to the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 (âCAFRAâ), 18 U.S.C. § 981 . According to the government, civil forfeiture is appropriate because the evidence presented at Dr. Howardâs criminal trial âestablish[es], by a preponderance of the evidence, that the defendant properties [were] derived from proceeds traceable to [Dr. Howardâs] fraudulent activities and are property involved in, or traceable to property involved in, the laundering of those proceeds.â Memorandum in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment and Decree of Forfeiture (âPl.âs Mem.â) at 12. The government further asserts that it has established that Dr. Howard obtained the defendant properties with proceeds derived from bank fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. In opposition, the claimants 9 posit several arguments in support of their position *52 that the governmentâs summary judgment motion should be denied. First the claimants argue that because the alleged illegal activity from which the proceeds were derived occurred prior to the CAFRAâs enactment, the statute is not applicable to this forfeiture proceeding. Claimantsâ Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment and Claimantsâ Motion for Summary Judgment (âClaimantsâ Oppânâ) at 1-2. 10 Second, the claimants argue that the basis upon which the government seeks to obtain forfeiture of the property is the same as the offenses charged in the indictment filed against Mr. Howard, and thus âdouble jeopardy bars [a] second punishment.â Id. at 2 . Third, the claimants argue that forfeiture of the property, worth âapproximately $2,000,000.00 ... is constitutionally excessive under the Eighth Amendment.â Id. at 4-5 . Fourth, they contend that the properties at issue are owned jointly and because they are âheld by the entireties[,]â the interests of âthe innocent co-owner[s] [must] be protected.â Id. at 5 . Fifth, the claimants allege that there are material issues of fact that preclude summary judgment being entered against them, namely, whether Dr. Howardâs power of attorney for his mother authorized him to sign her name, and whether the heirs knew that Dr. Howard was administering the estate. Id. at 7 . Finally, the claimants make their own request for summary judgment as to the defendant aircraft, on the ground that the â1977 Piper Aircraft was paid for completely prior to Mildred Powellâs death.â Id. at 8 . (1) Summary Judgment Standard Summary judgment is governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56. Pursuant to this rule, â[w]hen a motion for summary judgment is made and supported as provided in this rule, an adverse party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of the adverse partyâs pleading, but ... by affidavits or otherwise provided in this rule, must set forth specific facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial.â Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(e). The Court must grant the motion for summary judgment âforthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.â Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). Summary judgment is âmandate[d]â after there has been âadequate time for discovery ... against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that partyâs case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.â Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322 , 106 S.Ct. 2548 , 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Summary judgment, nonetheless, is a âdrastic remedy, [and therefore] courts should grant it with caution so that no person will be deprived of his or her day in court to prove a disputed material factual issue.â Greenberg v. Food & Drug *53 Administration, 803 F.2d 1213, 1216 (D.C.Cir.1986). Summary judgment is accordingly not appropriate, for example, where âthe evidence presented on a dis-positive issue is subject to conflicting interpretations, or reasonable persons might differ as to its significance.... â Id. (citations omitted). (2) Is the CAFRA Applicable to this Action? Pursuant to the CAFRA, âthe amendments made ... [to the] [Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 .... ] shall apply to any forfeiture proceeding commenced on or after the date that is 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, [April 25, 2000].ââ 8 U.S.C. § 1324 . 11 Since the âCAFRA was enacted on April 25, 2000, [its] effective date is August 23, 2000.â United States v. $80,180.00 in U.S. Currency, 303 F.3d 1182, 1184 (9th Cir.2002). The governmentâs Verified Complaint for Forfeiture In Rem was filed on March 30, 2001, clearly after the Actâs effective date. Nonetheless, the claimants argue that the CAFRA is not applicable to this action because âCongress did not direct that the proceeds forfeiture provision applied to conduct occurring before the enactment of the CAF-RAâ Claimantsâ Oppân at 2. In essence, the claimants argue that the CAFRA should not apply retroactively to events that occurred prior to its enactment. âWhen a case implicates a federal statute enacted after the events in suit, the courtâs first task is to determine whether Congress has expressly prescribed the statuteâs proper reach.â Landgraf v. USI Film Products, 511 U.S. 244, 280 , 114 S.Ct. 1483 , 128 L.Ed.2d 229 (1994). If Congress has done so, âthere is no need to resort to judicial default rules.â Id. However if the statute does not âcontain ... such express eommand[,]â it is the Courtâs responsibility to âdetermine whether the new statute [shjould have retroactive effect, i.e., whether it would impair rights a party possessed when he acted, increase a partyâs liability for past conduct, or impose new duties with respect to transactions already completed.â Id. A statute is generally presumed not to apply retroactively âabsent clear congressional intent favoring such a result.â Id. At least one court has directly confronted the argument presented by the claimants and rejected it. See United States v. All Funds on Deposit in Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburg Account No. 58-4,00738-1, 255 F.Supp.2d 56 (E.D.N.Y.2003). There, the claimant was the wife of Dr. Ishar Abdi, who pled guilty to health care fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347 . Id. at 59 . When the government instituted a civil forfeiture action against several properties that Dr. Adbi had agreed to forfeit as part of his plea agreement, Ms. Adbi argued that several of the governmentâs claims, which sought âforfeiture of proceeds traceable to a federal health care or mail fraud offense under 18 U.S.C. § 981 , fail[ed] to state claims upon which relief [could] be granted.â Id. at 60 . This was so, Ms. Adbi argued, because the âCAFRA cannot apply to the defendant properties because the acts that constituted Dr. Abdiâs fraud offenses occurred prior to the effective date of CAFRA, which, [the] claimant argue[d], cannot apply retroactively.â Id. (citation omitted). In rejecting the claimantâs argument, the court, relying on Landgraf , concluded that the statute contained âa clear expression of Congressional intent as to its temporal reach.â Id. (citation omitted). This was so, the court reasoned, because 8 *54 U.S.C. § 1324 clearly provides that the CAFRA amendments â âshall apply to any forfeiture proceeding commenced on or after the date that is 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act.â â Id. at 60-61 (quoting 8 U.S.C. § 1324 ) (emphasis in original). The court noted that although â[flew courts have had the opportunity to pass on the retroactivity of CAFRAâs provisions, ... those that have done so appear to have looked solely to when the civil forfeiture complaint was filed vis-a-vis the effective date of the Act, and not to when the fraudulent acts underlying the forfeiture action took place.â Id. at 61 . Based on these cases and the statuteâs language, the court held that Congressional intent is clear and express: [the] CAFRA, by its terms, âshallâ apply to all forfeiture cases commenced on or after August 23, 2000.... Had Congress wanted to exclude from [the] CAFRAâs reach cases that are commenced after the effective date of the Act but where the underlying fraudulent conduct occurred prior to the effective date of the Act, it could have done so.... Since it did not, and since there is nothing ambiguous in the statuteâs language concerning its reach or applicability, there is no need to conduct the Landgraf retroactivity analysis. Id. at 61-62 (footnote omitted); see also United States v. One âPiperâ Aztec âFâ De Luxe Model 250 23 Aircraft Bearing Serial No. 27-7651057, 321 F.3d 355 , 359 (3d Cir.2003) (â[The] CAFRA applies to âany forfeiture proceeding commenced on or after [August 23, 2000].â The plain language is clear: the commencement of a forfeiture proceeding can mean only the point when the government first files a complaint for forfeiture in rem under 18 U.S.C. § 981 (b)(2).... No other interpretation is sensible.â); $80,180.00 in U.S. Currency, 303 F.3d at 1185-86 (holding that the CAFRAâs heightened burden of proof was not applicable to a civil forfeiture action in which the complaint had been filed on November 9, 1999. âCongress manifested a clear intent to apply [the] CAFRAâs heightened burden of proof only to judicial forfeiture proceedings in which the governmentâs complaint was filed on or after August 23, 2000-Because congressional intent is clear, we need not resort to âjudicial default rulesâ to determine the retroactive scope of the legislation.â) (citation omitted); cf. United States v. Real Property in Section 9, 241 F.3d 796, 799 (6th Cir.2001) (holding that the CAFRAâs heightened burden of proof standard was applicable to a civil forfeiture action that was pending at the time of C/FRAâs enactment). This Court agrees with the All Funds on Deposit in Dime Savings Bank courtâs analysis. The statute, in clear and unambiguous terms, states that it is applicable to âany forfeiture proceeding commenced on or after [the Actâs effective date].â 8 U.S.C. § 1324 (emphasis added). It would stretch the bounds of logical reasoning to conclude that Congress was unaware âthat any civil forfeiture case commenced shortly after the effective date of the Act would, by necessity, be based on activities that occurred prior to the effective date [of the Act].â All Funds on Deposit in Dime Savings Bank, 255 F.Supp.2d at 62 n. 7 (citation omitted). Because the Court concludes that Congressâ intent that the statute apply to all forfeiture proceedings that are commenced after the Actâs effective date is clear, it need not reach the Landgraf Courtâs second analytical step. In attempting to have the Court reach the opposite conclusion, the claimants reference the Supreme Courtâs analysis in Immigration & Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr, 533 U.S. 289 , 121 S.Ct. 2271 , 150 L.Ed.2d 347 (2001), and argue that âSection 21 âdoes not even arguably suggest *55 that it has any application to conduct that occurred at an earlier date.â â (quoting St. Cyr, 533 U.S. at 817 , 121 S.Ct. 2271 ). However, St Cyr is inapposite to the current situation. There, at issue was whether amendments to the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (âAEDPAâ) and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (âIIRIRAâ) were applicable to âconduct that occurred before their enactment. ...â 533 U.S. at 292 , 121 S.Ct. 2271 . Specifically, the issue presented to the Court was whether the Actsâ amendments that revoked the Attorney Generalâs âauthority to waive deportation for aliens previously convicted of aggregated felonies[,]â as authorized by § 212(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, id. at 294, 121 S.Ct. 2271 , precluded the Attorney General from exercising discretion concerning whether to waive deportation of such individuals. Id. at 297 , 121 S.Ct. 2271 . In holding that the amendments were not applicable retroactively, the Court concluded that there was ânothing in IIRIRA unmistakably indicating that Congress considered the question whether to apply its repeal of § 212(c) retroactively to such aliens.â Id. at 326, 121 S.Ct. 2271 . Therefore, the Court proceeded to the second prong of the Landgraf analysis and concluded that â[bjecause respondent, and other aliens like him, almost certainly relied upon [the likelihood of receiving § 212(c) relief] in deciding whether to forgo their right to trial, the elimination of any possibility of § 212(c) relief by IIRI-RA has an obvious and severe retroactive effect.â Id. at 325, 121 S.Ct. 2271 . The Court finds that the reasoning of St. Cyr is not applicable to the present situation. First, the St. Cyr Court concluded that the statutes there were ambiguous and therefore proceeded to evaluate their retroactive effect. Here, the Court has concluded that the CAFRAâs language regarding the reach of its applicability is not ambiguous. While it is true that â[a] statement that a statute will become effective on a certain date does not even arguably suggest that it has any application to conduct that occurred at an earlier date[,jâ Landgraf, 511 U.S. at 257 , 114 S.Ct. 1483 , in distinguishing St. Cyr , the All Funds on Deposit in Dime Savings Bank court noted that the âCAFRA is distinguishable from the statute at issue in St. Cyr , since its clear language does much more than merely announce an effective date.â 255 F.Supp.2d at 62 . Rather, the CAFRA states that it âshall apply to any forfeiture proceeding[s] â filed after its effective date. 8 U.S.C. § 1324 (emphasis added). As the All Funds on Deposit in Dime Savings Bank court stated, this language mirrors âvery closely language that the Court in Landgraf held would be sufficient to convey a âdeterminate meaning.â â Id. at 63 n. 9 (quoting Landgraf 511 U.S. at 259-60 , 114 S.Ct. 1483 (â[hjad Congress wished § 402(a) to have such a determinate meaning, it surely would have used language comparable to its reference to the predecessor Title VII damages provisions in the 1990 legislation: that the new provisions âshall apply to all proceedings pending on or commenced after the date of enactment of this Act.â â)) (citation omitted). Therefore, because the governmentâs complaint was filed on March 30, 2001, clearly after the CAFRAâs effective date of August 23, 2000, the Court concludes that the CAFRA is applicable to the current forfeiture proceeding. (3) Is This Action Barred by Double Jeopardy or Eighth Amendment Proscriptions? The claimants next posit that this action is forbidden based on two distinct legal theories â double jeopardy and the Eighth Amendmentâs prohibition against excessive punishment. *56 The claimantsâ first argument, that awarding the government the relief it seeks would violate the constitutional proscription against double jeopardy because this civil forfeiture action is based on the same facts that formed the basis for Dr. Howardâs criminal conviction, is easily rejected. In United States v. Ursery, 518 U.S. 267, 287 , 116 S.Ct. 2135 , 135 L.Ed.2d 549 (1996), the Supreme Court held that âcivil forfeiture does not constitute punishment for the purpose of the Double Jeopardy Clause.â The Court explained that âCongress [has] long ... authorized the Government to bring parallel criminal procedures and civil forfeiture proceedings, and this Court has consistently found civil forfeitures not to constitute punishment under the Double Jeopardy Clause.â Id. at 287-88 , 116 S.Ct. 2135 . To the extent that the claimants suggest anything to the contrary, their position must be rejected. 12 See also United States v. One Parcel of Real Property Described as Lot 41, 128 F.3d 1386 (10th Cir.1997) (stating that the defendantâs argument âthat the forfeiture of his interest in the personal property following his prosecution, conviction, and sentencing for criminal charges arising from the same conduct violated the Fifth Amendmentâs Double Jeopardy Clause[,]â was âforeclosed by the Supreme Courtâs recent decision in ... Ursery, 518 U.S. 267 , 116 S.Ct. 2135 , 135 L.Ed.2d 549 ....â). The claimants next argue âthat forfeiture of approximately $2,000,000.00 in property is constitutionally excessive under the Eighth Amendment.â Claimantsâ Oppân at 4-5. 13 Relying on the Supreme Courtâs decisions in Austin v. United States, 509 U.S. 602 , 113 S.Ct. 2801 , 125 L.Ed.2d 488 (1993) and United States v. Bajakajian, 524 U.S. 321 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 , 141 L.Ed.2d 314 (1998), the claimants posit that the forfeiture in this case, which includes âreal and personal property worth approximately $2,000,000.00[,]â would be excessive because â[t]he forfeiture sought by the government is 100 times larger than the $20,000.00 fine imposed by the District Court, and it has no articulable correlation to any injury suffered by the government.â Id. at 5. The government counters that the Bajakajian case is inapplicable to the present civil forfeiture proceeding because that case concerned a criminal forfeiture. Plaintiffs Reply to Claimantsâ and Putative Claimantsâ Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment and Opposition to Claimantsâ and Putative Claimants Motion for Summary Judgment (âGov.âs Replyâ) at 6. However, even if Bajakajian was applicable to this matter, the government argues that the forfeiture would not be excessive *57 because âthe statutory fines for a single violation of each offense adds up to $3,860,000, well over the value of the defendant properties.â Id. at 7-8. Furthermore, the government argues that the scheme perpetrated by the defendant resulted in harm to the United States that âis great and immeasurable.â Id. at 8. The Court concludes that it does not need to reach the issue of whether Bajaka-jian is applicable to this civil forfeiture proceeding because it agrees with the government that the forfeiture of the entire Florida propertyâs value would not violate the Eighth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment provides that â[ejxcessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.â U.S. Const., Arndt. 8. This clause of the Eighth Amendment, referred to as â[tjhe Excessive Fines Clause[,j limits the governmentâs power to extract payments, whether in cash or in kind, as 'punishment for some offense.â Austin, 509 U.S. at 609-610 , 118 S.Ct. 2801 (emphasis in original) (citation omitted). In Bajakajian , the defendant, Hosep Baja-kajian, was charged with failing to report that he was transporting more than $10,000 in United States currency overseas. 524 U.S. at 325 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 . Pursuant to the criminal forfeiture statute applicable to Bajakajianâs offense, 18 U.S.C. § 982 (a)(1), the court was required to â âorder that [a person convicted of an enumerated offense] forfeit to the United States any property ... involved in such offense, or any property traceable to such property.ââ Id. at 325 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 (quoting 18 U.S.C. § 982 (a)(1)). The government sought forfeiture of the entire amount that Bajakajian failed to report, $357,144. 524 U.S. at 325 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 . In holding that this forfeiture would violate the Eighth Amendmentâs excessive fines prohibition, the Court held that the forfeiture of currency ordered by § 982(a)(1) constitutes punishment. The statute directs a court to order forfeiture as an additional sanction when âimposing sentence on a person convicted of a wilful violation of § 5316âs reporting requirement. The forfeiture is thus imposed at the culmination of a criminal proceeding and requires conviction of an underlying felony.... Id. at 328, 118 S.Ct. 2028 (citation omitted). The Court further held that âa punitive forfeiture violates the Excessive Fines Clause if it is grossly disproportional to the gravity of a defendantâs offense.â Id. at 334 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 . The Court concluded that forfeiture of the entire amount Bajakajian possessed would be excessive because his âcrime was solely a reporting offense.â Id. at 337 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 . Specifically, the Court noted that Bajakajianâs offense was âunrelated to any other illegal activities[;][t]he money was the proceeds of legal activity and was to be used to repay a lawful debt.â Id. at 338 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 . The Court also noted that Bajakajian did not fit into the class of persons for whom the statute was principally designed: He is not a money launderer, a drug trafficker, or a tax evader.... And under the Sentencing Guidelines, the maximum sentence that could have been imposed ... was six months, while the maximum fine was $5,000.... Such penalties confirm a minimal level of culpability. Id. (citations and footnotes omitted). The circumstances in Bajakajian are readily distinguishable from the present matter. Although not determinative, it is significant that the present forfeiture action is a civil in rem proceeding against the properties, and not against Dr. Howard personally. 14 However, assuming ar-guendo that the forfeiture in this case can *58 be viewed as punitive, the Court does not find that the forfeiture of the real property would be disproportional to the defendantâs guilt. The Supreme Courtâs basis for holding that the forfeiture sought by the government in Bajakajian would be excessive was based on the nature of the defendantâs culpability. On this point, the Court noted that Bajakajian did not fall within âthe class of persons for whom the statute was principally designed.... â 524 U.S. at 388 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 . Here, however, the civil forfeiture statute at issue in this case is designed to provide for the forfeiture of property obtained through mail and wire fraud, conduct for which the defendant was convicted. For the reasons set forth in this Courtâs prior Memorandum Opinion denying Dr. Howardâs motion for judgments of acquittal, there is overwhelming evidence supporting his conviction. Moreover, unlike Bajakajianâs conduct, Dr. Howard did not merely commit an act of failing to report information; rather, he defrauded the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and even ignored an order of that court suspending his fiduciary powers over the estate from which he acquired the funds he used to purchase the St. Joe, Florida property. In addition, he committed numerous transactions in violation of the mail and wire fraud statutes. And, although the jury failed to specify conduct separate from the specified unlawful activity to support the money laundering convictions, which caused the Court to invalidate those convictions, nonetheless, but for this legal flaw, evidence sufficient to establish violations of the money laundering statute as well was presented by the government. See United States v. Kinley Howard, 271 F.Supp.2d 79, 88-89 (D.D.C.2002) (holding that there were sufficient allegations contained in the indictment of specific unlawful activity from which proceeds acquired by the defendant were allegedly laundered). In United States v. Loe, 49 F.Supp.2d 514 (E.D.Tex.1999), the court addressed the issue of whether forfeiture pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 982 , the criminal forfeiture statute at issue in Bajakajian , would be violative of the Eighth Amendment. There, the defendants had purchased property in Florida for $965,000.00. Id. at 520. âThe purchase price was comprised of $507,491.11 of tainted funds and $457,508.89 of untainted funds.â Id. After the purchase was made, the property had appreciated in value over $500,000, and was worth $1,500,000. Id. In rejecting the governmentâs argument that it was entitled to forfeit the full amount of the propertyâs value, the court concluded âthat [only] 52.6% of the property [was] subject to forfeiture as property traceable to property involved in a money laundering offense.â Id. at 521. Because the remaining 47.4% of the property was paid for with untainted funds, the court concluded that it was not subject to forfeiture. Id. Most significant for this Courtâs present purposes was the Loe courtâs conclusion that the government was entitled to 52.6% of the propertyâs total value, in- *59 eluding âany appreciation of the property in relation to [the governmentâs] ownership interests.â Id. at 524 . The Loe court rejected the defendantsâ argument, which was based on Bajakajian , that forfeiture of the entire value of the Florida property would âconstitute[ ] an excessive fĂne in violation of the Eighth Amendment.â Id. at 524. Although the court recognized that âBajakajian clearly holds that the standard for determining whether a punitive forfeiture violates the Excessive Fines Clause is if the amount of the forfeiture is grossly disproportional to the gravity of the defendantâs offense[,]â the court found âthat forfeiture of the 52.6% of the Florida property, a percentage that equates to approximately $789,000.00 would not violate the Excessive Fines Clause.â Id. at 525. This was because the [defendantsâ money laundering offenses were related to other illegal activities, including a scheme to defraud insurance companies and a conspiracy to violate the mail and wire fraud statutes. Additionally, $507,491.11 of the approximate $789,000.00 subject to forfeiture constitute proceeds fraudulently obtained from insurance companies. Therefore, the Court [found] that forfeiture of 52.6% of the Florida property [was] not excessive under the Bajakajian test and [did] not violate the Excessive Fines Clause. Id. As already noted, the Loe court concluded that the government was entitled to the appreciated value of the property, in proportion to the amount of tainted funds that were utilized to purchase that property. Here, in contrast to the circumstances in Loe , no evidence has been proffered which even suggests that any part of the down payment used to purchase the St. Joe, Florida property was from legally acquired funds. Rather, the facts demonstrate that on September 9, 1997, Dr. Howard withdrew $84,623.19 from the Emerald Coast Bank estate account and on the same day opened a personal account at the same bank and deposited into it the funds he had withdrawn from the estate account along with $941.25 of Mildred Powellâs funds that had not been previously deposited into any account. Gov.âs Mem. at 22. Thereafter, on September 24, 1997, Dr. Howard deposited an additional $100 of Mildred Powellâs funds into his Emerald Coast Bank personal account. Id. From the time Dr. Howard opened this personal account until December 22, 1997, when he wrote a check in the amount of $29,524.50 for the down payment on the defendant real property, no other money was deposited into the account. Id. Furthermore, the financial documents submitted by the government clearly establish that Dr. Howardâs mortgage payments were made with funds traceable to the estateâs assets and Dr. Howard has not presented evidence that refutes this evidence. 15 Accordingly, because the Court concludes that the government has demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that Dr. Howard *60 utilized funds exclusively acquired from Mildred Powellâs estate to purchase and make payments on the St. Joe, Florida property, the entire property, including its appreciated value, is subject to forfeiture. See United States v. Hawkey, 148 F.3d 920, 928 (8th Cir.1998) (holding âthat the district court correctly ordered that the motor home be forfeited without regard to any increased value that [the defendant] may have added. Irrespective of whether the increased value to the converted property is the result of wise investment, personal effort [by the defendant], or by adding [the defendantâs] personal untainted funds, because the converted property is traceable to the unlawful monetary transaction, we conclude that the property is subject to forfeiture under [ 18 U.S.C. § 982 (a)(1)].â). Any contrary result would reward Dr. Howard for his illegal activities by permitting him to profit from the purchase of property that has substantially increased in value. Thus, the Court concludes that forfeiture of the entire value of the St. Joe, Florida property would not violate the Eighth Amendment. (4) Is the Forfeiture in this Action Barred by Joint Ownership? Having concluded that the claims of Judy Howard and Kinco Aviation are properly before the Court, it must now decide whether principles that govern joint ownership preclude the entry of summary judgment for the government. The claimants argue that â[i]t is uncontroverted that Kinley W. Howard and his wife Judy Howard own the Port St. Joeâs Florida real estate as tenants by the entireties[ ] ... [and] that Kinco Aviation owns the airplane at issue in the instant case.â Claimantsâ Oppân at 5. Accordingly, the claimants posit that, pursuant to the Florida Constitution, âthe innocent co-ownerâs interest in the property [must] be protected.â Id. (citing In re Forfeiture of 1985 Ford Pickup Truck, 598 So.2d 1070 (Fla.1992)) (footnote omitted). The claimants rely on United States v. One Single Family Residence, 894 F.2d 1511 (11th Cir.1990) for the proposition that âproperty held by the entireties is entirely immune from forfeiture.â Claimantsâ Oppân at 6. As the claimants represent, it is correct that the Eleventh Circuit held in One Single Family Residence that the property the government sought to subject to forfeiture there pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881 (a)(7) 16 could not be forfeited because a criminal defendant and his wife held the property as tenants by the entirety. However, the claimants omit a factor that was key to the courtâs holding in One Single Family Residence . There, the Eleventh Circuit found no reason to reverse the district courtâs factual conclusion that the criminal defendantâs wife had âno knowledge or suspicion of her husbandâs drug trafficking or the use of their home to facilitate [drug trafficking] deals.â Therefore, the Eleventh Circuitâs inquiry was limited to the legal question of whether any of the wifeâs interest in the property, as an innocent owner, was specifically protected by section 881(a)(7). Id. at 1513 . Holding that because the district court had correctly concluded that the wife held the property with her husband as a tenant by the entirety, under Florida common law her âinterest comprisefd] the whole or entirety of the property and [was] not a divisible part; the estate [was therefore] inseverable.â Id. at 1514 (citations omitted). Thus, the court noted that its âdeci *61 sion [was] not based on Florida law that conflicts with the federal forfeiture statute.â Id. at 1518. Rather, the court held that âthe federal law protected] an innocent ownerâs interest, and when that innocent ownerâs interest [pursuant to state law] comprises the whole of a property, nothing [could] be forfeited to the government.â Id. (emphasis added). As in One Single Family Residence , the federal statute here provides for an innocent owner defense. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 983 (3)(A), an âinnocent ownerâ as to âa property interest acquired after the conduct giving rise to the forfeiture has taken placeâ is âa person who, at the time that person acquired the interest in the property â (i) was a bona fide purchaser or seller for value ... and (ii) did not know and was reasonably without cause to believe that the property was subject to forfeiture.â However, the Court need not belabor the issue of whether or not Mrs. Howard is an innocent owner pursuant to the statute because this issue is not addressed at all in the claimantsâ opposition. Furthermore, as Mrs. Howard did not testify at her husbandâs trial, there is no basis upon which the Court could ascertain whether or not she has a valid argument that she is an innocent owner for purposes of the statuteâs exemption. The argument that Mrs. Howard is not an innocent owner was raised by the government in its initial motion for summary judgment. Gov.âs Mem. at 39-40. In response, the claimants merely cite cases that stand for the proposition that an innocent ownerâs interest should be protected, but they otherwise fail to directly address the argument made by the government that Mrs. Howard is not an innocent owner. Pursuant to this Courtâs local rules, a memorandum of opposing points and authorities âshall â be filed in opposition to a motion and, if such a memorandum is not filed, âthe court may treat the motion as conceded.â LCvR 7.1(b) (emphasis added); see also Federal Deposit Ins. Corp. v. Bender, 127 F.3d 58, 68 (D.C.Cir.1997) (affirming district courtâs grant of summary judgment where defendant failed to timely file an opposition, stating that â â[w]here the district court relies on the absence of a response as a basis for treating the motion as conceded, we honor its enforcement of the [local] rule.â â) (citation omitted). Courts have interpreted this local rule to apply to specific arguments within a memorandum opposing a motion. Thus, â[i]t is well understood in this Circuit that when a plaintiff files an opposition to a motion to dismiss addressing only certain arguments raised by the defendant, a court may treat those arguments that the plaintiff failed to address as conceded....â Hopkins v. Womenâs Div., General Bd. of Global Ministries, 238 F.Supp.2d 174, 178 (D.D.C.2002) (citations omitted); see also Bancoult v. McNamara, 227 F.Supp.2d 144, 149 (D.D.C.2002) (â[I]f the opposing party files a responsive memorandum, but fails to address certain arguments made by the moving party, the court may treat those arguments as conceded, even when the result is dismissal of the entire case.â) (citations omitted); Day v. D.C. Depât of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs, 191 F.Supp.2d 154, 159 (D.D.C.2002) (âIf a party fails to counter an argument that the opposing party makes in a motion, the court may treat that argument as conceded.â) (citation omitted). It is not this â[C]ourtâs role ... to act as an advocate for the [the parties] and construct legal arguments on [their] behalf in order to counter those in the motion to dismiss.â Stephenson v. Cox, 223 F.Supp.2d 119, 122 (D.D.C.2002) (citations omitted). Accordingly, because nothing has been submitted by the claimants upon which the Court can ascertain whether or not Mrs. Howard and Kinco Aviation have valid innocent owner *62 defenses to the forfeiture of the defendant properties, the Court will treat this argument as conceded and conclude that Mrs. Howard and Kinco Aviation are not innocent owners and thus summary judgment is not precluded on joint ownership grounds. (5) Are There are Material Facts Barring Summary Judgment? Having decided that this action is governed by the CAFRA, that statuteâs burden of proof provision governs whether the government is entitled to summary judgment. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 983 (c)(1), âthe burden of proof is on the Government to establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the property is subject to forfeiture^]â 17 In meeting this burden, the government may utilize âevidence gathered after the filing of a complaint for forfeiture to establish ... that [the] property is subject to forfeiture^]â 18 U.S.C. § 983 (c)(2). (A) The Real Property Regarding the defendant real estate, the Court, having rejected the claimantsâ arguments that forfeiture of the real property would violate the Eighth Amendment, and that forfeiture is barred by principles of joint ownership, concludes that summary judgment is warranted in favor of the government. There is ample evidence from the criminal trial of Dr. Howard, over which this Court presided, that demonstrates that the real property was purchased with the proceeds Dr. Howard acquired exclusively through his mail and wire fraud and money laundering activities. Furthermore, Dr. Howard does not even contest the governmentâs argument that his appropriation of savings bonds which he transported from the District of Columbia to Florida provides a basis for forfeiture pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981 (a)(1)(C), because the property was purchased with proceeds âtraceable to interstate transportation of stolen property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2314 -â The claimants argue that there are genuine issues of material fact precluding an award of summary judgment to the government at this time. First, they note that Dr. Howard was not convicted of money laundering. Claimantsâ Oppân at 7. However because the Court has concluded that CAFRA is applicable to this action, this argument does not preclude summary judgment as the government need not rely on Dr. Howardâs vacated money laundering conviction for the result it desires. In addition, a criminal conviction is not a prerequisite for civil forfeiture. See One âPiper" Aztec âFâ De Luxe Model 250 PA 23 Aircraft, 321 F.3d at 360 (â[T]he absence of a criminal conviction is irrelevant in a civil forfeiture proceeding, which is directed against the property, not the owner.â) (citation omitted); United States v. All Right, Title & Interest in Real Property & Building Known as 303 West 116th Street, New York, New York, 901 F.2d 288, 292 (2d Cir.1990) (rejecting claimantâs argument that âhis state conviction [did] not support forfeiture because he ha[d] filed a *63 notice of appeal from that conviction.... [E]ven if [the claimantâs] state conviction were overturned, civil forfeiture of the defendant property would still be warranted.â) (citations omitted). Second, the claimants argue that there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether Dr. Howard had his motherâs power of attorney, and accordingly whether signing his motherâs signature constituted forgeries because âD.C. Probative [sic] law permitted him to take the actions he did prior to his motherâs death.â Claimantsâ Oppân at 7. To the extent that Dr. Howard made these same unconvincing arguments to the jury, they are also rejected again here. See United States v. One 1987 Mercedes Benz 300E, 820 F.Supp. 248, 253 (E.D.Va.1993) (stating that based on the claimantâs conviction for extorting money, â[t]he doctrine of issue preclusion or collateral estoppel bar[red] [the claimantâs] attempt to relitigate in this civil proceeding an issue of fact fully litigated in a prior criminal proceeding and necessary and essential to the judgment of conviction entered in the criminal matter.â) (citations omitted). In addition, it is noteworthy that Dr. Howard continued to sign his motherâs name even after she died, and failed to notify the Superior Court about her death, facts that added to the governmentâs proof that he sought to defraud the estateâs heirs and the Superior Court. Third, the claimants argue that there is an issue of material fact regarding whether the estateâs heirs âknew Kinley W. Howard was handling the estate and approved of his doing so.â Claimantsâ Oppân at 7. 18 Further, the claimants state that pursuant to District of Columbia probate law, âno distribution [was] required until the estate is closedâ and it is beyond dispute âthat the estate is still open pending the resolution of the Georgia property matters.â Id. However, these facts are not material to the present controversy. For the purpose of forfeiture, the government must demonstrate, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the property is subject to forfeiture. As stated previously, the Court concludes that the overwhelming evidence of guilt presented at the defendantâs criminal trial, which resulted in his conviction, establishes that the defendant real estate was purchased with funds Dr. Howard acquired exclusively through his mail and wire fraud activities. Moreover, the heirsâ knowledge that Dr. Howard was administrating the estate does not mean that they also knew he was using estate funds for his own personal purposes, or that he misrepresented the value of the estate and his motherâs home address when applying to be a eo-repre-sentative of the estate. Nor does it change the fact that Dr. Howard continued to spend the estateâs funds after a judge suspended his fiduciary powers. These facts, in conjunction with the overwhelming evidence of Dr. Howardâs guilt presented at his criminal trial, conclusively demonstrates that Dr. Howard knowingly *64 orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to obtain the proceeds of Mildred Powellâs estate. And, he then used those funds to purchase the St. Joe, Florida real estate. In sum, the Court concludes that the government is entitled to summary judgment as to the St. Joe, Florida real estate. (B) The Personal Property The Court reaches a different conclusion regarding the governmentâs summary judgment motion to forfeit the defendant aircraft. The airplane was purchased by Dr. Howard in 1989, and sold to Kinco Aviation, Inc., a company Dr. Howard established on September 24, 1989. Gov.âs Mem. at 24. The claimants have also moved for summary judgment regarding the aircraft, arguing that â[i]t is uncontro-verted that the 1977 Piper Aztec Aircraft was paid for completely prior to Mildred Powellâs death.â Claimantsâ Oppân at 8. Accordingly, the claimants argue, the airplane is not subject to forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. § 1981 (a)(1)(C). Id. On the other hand, the government posits that because the airplane was used as collateral for the personal loan Dr. Howard obtained from First National Bank, and because the bank at one time held a lien on the airplane for its full value that was released only because Dr. Howard obtained a second mortgage on the defendant real estate, which was paid solely with tainted funds, it is subject to forfeiture. Pl.âs Mem. at 25. The Court must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving parties when considering the partiesâ cross motions for summary judgment. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587 , 106 S.Ct. 1348 , 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). This principle precludes the Court from awarding summary judgment to either party as to the defendant aircraft. This result is called for because on the record currently before the Court it is unable to conclude as a matter of law that the defendant aircraft was âinvolved in a transaction in violation of section ... 1957 ... or ... traceable to [the funds illegally obtained].â 18 U.S.C. § 981 (a)(1)(A). 19 The aircraft was clearly paid for prior to the commencement of Dr. Howardâs fraudulent activities. And, although it was used by Dr. Howard to obtain his personal loan, it is not clear the loanâs proceeds were used to pay the mortgage on the St. Joe, Florida property. In any event, it seems apparent, absent further briefing on the issue, that because the airplane was paid for with legitimately acquired funds, the value of the plane associated to those funds are not subject to forfeiture by the government. United States v. Loe, 49 F.Supp.2d at 523 (holding that because â52.6% of the purchase funds [were] tainted property, ... the United Statesâ interest [was] limited to this portion.â). The Court therefore cannot conclude, on the current record, that the government has established, by a preponderance of the evidence, that all or even part of the defendant aircraft is subject to forfeiture. Accordingly, the Court must deny both partiesâ summary judgment motions as to the aircraft. SO ORDERED on this 21st day of Oc *65 tober, 2003. 20 1 . The Court has addressed the Petition for Remission or Mitigation of Seized Property filed by the successor personal representative of Ms. Powell's estate in a separate opinion. 2 . In light of the Courtâs ruling in this opinion, it has denied the Motion for an Order Granting a Private Sale of Defendant Real Property filed by Dr. and Mrs. Howard on April 30, 2002. 3 . On April 17, 2003, the government filed a Notice of Filing Lis Pendens with the Court regarding the St. Joe, Florida property, which was also filed with the Gulf County Clerk's Office for the Gulf County, Florida Circuit Court, in Port St. Joe, Florida, on the same date. 4 . Dr. Howard also transferred $4,996.73 from Ms. Powell's Federal Employees Group Life Insurance ("FEGLIâ) program located in New York; $2,214.46 from Ms. Powellâs Paine Webber, Inc., investment account maintained in Washington, DC; and $1,006.13 in insurance funds from the Liberty Life Insurance Company which is located in Greenville, South Carolina. Compl. ¶ 12. 5 . Dr. Howard made a down payment of $29,524.50 and obtained a mortgage for $172,975 from Kentros, Esper, Haddad, & Alley, an investment group. Compl. ¶ 18. 6 . The 1997 Piper Aztec aircraft was seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBIâ) on October 6, 2001, pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by a magistrate judge of this Court. On March 8, 2002, this Court granted the government's motion for partial default as to the defendant aircraft. However, due to events that are discussed later, infra at 7, the Court vacated its partial decree of forfeiture on March 21, 2002. 7 . The indictment did not charge Mr. Howard with bank fraud. He was found guilty in his criminal case of two counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. 8 . Dr. Howard was also found guilty of two counts of money laundering, however, judgments of acquittal were entered on these counts by the Court because the juryâs findings did not identify specified unlawful activities from which the funds were acquired by the defendant that were distinct from the alleged money laundering activities. See United States v. Howard, No. 02-079, slip. op. at 8 (D.D.C. Feb. 5, 2003); see also United States v. Seward, 272 F.3d 831, 836 (7th Cir.2001) (âThe transaction or transactions that created the criminally-derived proceeds must be distinct from the money-laundering transaction because the money laundering statutes criminalize âtransaction^] in proceeds, not the transaction^] that create [ ] the proceeds.' â) (quoting United States v. Mankarious, 151 F.3d 694, 705 (7th Cir.1998)); United States v. Butler, 211 F.3d 826, 830 (4th Cir.2000) (holding that to establish a money laundering offense âthe laundering of funds cannot occur in the same transaction through which those funds first become tainted by crime.â). 9 . It is not entirely clear whether the defendant properties are represented by the same counsel who represents the claimants. The government notes that the defendants in this *52 action are the real and personal properties named in the complaint. The opposition to the governmentâs motion was filed by Harvey Volzer, Esquire, who represents Dr. Howard and two claimants, Mrs. Howard and Kinco Aviation. Counsel of record for the defendant real property is the successor personal representative of Mildred Powellâs estate. The fourth claimant, Citizens Federal Savings Bank, is represented by retained counsel, and the record is silent on who represents the personal property. The Court will refer to the arguments made in the opposition filed by Dr. Howard, Mrs. Howard, and Kinco Aviation as being made on behalf of the claimants to prevent any further confusion. 10 . The pages of the claimantsâ opposition are not numbered. Accordingly, the Court refers to the pages in the sequential order in which they were presented to the Court. 11 . There is one exception to when the CAFRA of 2000 became effective, see 28 U.S.C. § 2466 , which is not applicable to this proceeding. 12 . Indeed, the claimants' counselâs citation to the Sixth Circuitâs ruling in United States v. Ursery, 59 F.3d 568, 573-74 (6th Cir.1995), followed by a notation that the decision was reversed "on other grounds,â is a blatant misrepresentation that what occurred in the Supreme Court's ruling left in place what the Sixth Circuit decided regarding claimantsâ double jeopardy challenge. See Ursery, 518 U.S. at 292 , 116 S.Ct. 2135 . It is clear that the proposition for which counsel cites the Sixth Circuitâs opinion, i.e., that "[w]here the government seeks summary judgment in the civil forfeiture case based on a prior criminal conviction, double jeopardy would bar the forfeiture because it is predicated on the same offense as the conviction[,]â was rejected by the Supreme Court. Id. ("It is well settled that âCongress may impose both a criminal and civil sanction in respect to the same act or omission[.]â â) (citation omitted). Moreover, the remaining cases cited by counsel were all decided prior to the Supreme Courtâs ruling in Ursery. 13 . The defendant real estate was appraised on January 10, 2002, as worth $1,890,000. Pl.âs Mem. at 32. Currently, there are two outstanding mortgages on the property, one in the amount of $163, 685 and the other in the amount of $317,134. Id. 14 . Notably, in Bajakajian , the Supreme Court pointed out that traditionally civil "in rem *58 forfeitures were ... not considered punishment against the individual for an offense[,]â because â[t]he theory behind such forfeitures was the fiction that the action was directed against 'guilty property,â rather than against the offender himself.â 524 U.S. at ,330-31, 118 S.Ct. 2028 (footnote and citation omitted). Thus, civil in rem forfeitures were "considered to occupy a place outside the domain of the Excessive Fines Clause.â Id. at 331 , 118 S.Ct. 2028 . However, the Bajakajian Court noted that "some recent federal forfeiture laws have blurred the traditional distinction between civil in rem and criminal in personam forfeiture [and thus the Court-has] held that a modern statutory forfeiture is a 'fineâ for Eighth Amendment purposes if it constitutes punishment even in part, regardless of whether the proceeding is styled in rem or in personam." Id. 331 n. 6, 118 S.Ct. 2028 (citations omitted). 15 . The claimants failed to comply with this Court's local rule that provides that an opposition to a motion for summary judgment "shall be accompanied by a separate concise statement of genuine issues setting forth all material facts as to which it is contended there exists a genuine issue necessary to be litigated....â LCvR 56.1. Pursuant to this local rule, "the court may assume that facts identified by the moving party in its statement of material facts are admitted, unless such fact is controverted in the statement of genuine issues filed in opposition.â Id. (emphasis added). Here, a separate statement of material facts as to which there is no genuine issue was attached in support of the claimantsâ motion for partial summary judgment. Accordingly, the adverse consequences of noncompliance with the local rule will not be invoked by the Court. 16 . 21 U.S.C. § 887 (a)(1) " ârequirfed] the forfeiture of any real property and improvements thereon when there is probable cause to believe that the property was used to facilitate a violation of [the drug trafficking statute] One Single Family Residence, 894 F.2d at 1512 (citation omitted). 17 . The CAFRA "alter[ed] the burdens borne by the parties to a civil forfeiture proceeding." All Funds on Deposit in Dime Savings Bank, 255 F.Supp.2d at 61 n. 5. Previously, "once the government made a showing of probable cause, the burden shifted to the claimant to prove by a higher standard of evidenceâpreponderance of the evidenceâ that forfeiture [was] not required.â Real Property in Section 9, 241 F.3d at 797 . Due to "widespread criticism of this regime ... Congress enacted CAFRA ... [which] transferred the burden of proof from the claimant to the government and required the government to establish forfeiture by a preponderance of the evidence rather than by the lower probable cause standard[.]â $80,180.00 in U.S. Currency, 303 F.3d at 1184 (citations omitted). 18 . To the extent that the parties cite to the voluminous transcripts in this matter, without designating the pages on which the testimony supporting their arguments could be found, the Court has not endeavored to complete this task on their behalf. As the District of Columbia Circuit has clearly held, this Court does not have an obligation to search the entire record, or an entire witnessâ testimony for that matter, in search of testimony that supports the partiesâ arguments. See Frito-Lay, Inc. v. Willoughby, 863 F.2d 1029, 1034 (D.C.Cir.1988) (rejecting "appellant's claim that the âdistrict court should have examined the entire record when considering [the defendantâs] summary judgment motion.... Appellantâs failure to designate and reference triable facts was, in light of he language of Rule 56(c) and governing precedent, fatal to its opposition.â) (citations omitted). 19 . Property "derived from proceeds traceable to ... any offense constituting âspecified unlawful activity (as defined in section 1956(c)(7) ....ââ is subject to forfeiture.) 18 U.S.C. § 981 (C). Section 1956(c)(7)(A) enumerates both mail and wire fraud as âspecified unlawful activity.â It seems apparent that the aircraft was not initially acquired as a result of such activity and whether the events that resulted in the lien on the airplane being lifted warrant the forfeiture of the plane is an *65 issue that specifically needs to be addressed by the parties. 20 . An Order consistent with the Court's rulings was issued by the Court on September 30, 2003. Case Information
- Court
- D.D.C.
- Decision Date
- October 21, 2003
- Status
- Precedential