Asset Forfeiture Overview for CLE
This article was prepared as part of a CLE presentation on the federal asset forfeiture laws sponsored by the Texas Bar Association. It summarizes the procedures that govern administrative, civil and criminal forfeiture, and the statutes that authorize the seizure and forfeiture of proceeds, facilitating property, and property involved in money laundering. Seizure and Forfeiture […]
Asset Forfeiture: Why, What and How
This is the text of a presentation by Stef Cassella at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government on June 9, 2026. It sets forth the rationale for using asset forfeiture as a law enforcement tool, outlines the theories of forfeiture embodied in the various asset forfeiture statutes, and discusses administrative, civil […]
Asset Recovery and the Rule of Law — Cambridge
From August 23-30, 2026, I will be attending the 43rd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime. This year’s theme is Asset Recovery and the Rule of Law, which will feature numerous presentations, panels, and workshops on both criminal and civil (non-conviction-vased) asset forfeiture presented by lawyers, academics, and public officials from literally everywhere. I have […]
Explaining Civil Forfeiture
In November 2025, I had the opportunity to give a keynote presentation at a national conference on civil asset forfeiture in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The purpose was to introduce and explain civil forfeiture to the prosecutors who have been tasked with implementing the DR’s civil forfeiture law, and to encourage its vigorous application. The […]
Intro to Forfeiture in Money Laundering Cases
Each semester, I am invited to give a guest lecture at a graduate-level class at George Washington University Law School on the application of the asset forfeiture laws in money laundering cases. The lecture begins on an introductory level, explaining the ways in which asset forfeiture cases may be brought (administrative, civil and criminal), and […]
Tom Homan Was Said to Have Received $50,000 From Agents. He May Not Have to Return It.
This article from the New York Times on October 8, 2025, discusses the allegation that a Trump Administration official recived $50,000 in cash from undercover agents, and whether there is any way for the Government to force him to give back the money. NYTimes Article on Tom Homan
How the Government Uses Civil Forfeiture
Once a year, I post a list of civil forfeiture cases brought by the Department of Justice that reflect the nature and scope of the situations — all involving criminal offenses — in which the civil forfeiture tool is used. The point is to dispel the notion that civil forfeiture is primarily used in drug […]
Elements of a Model NCB Forfeiture Law
On September 4, 2025, I gave a presentation at the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime that summarized the Civil or Non-Conviction-Based Forfeiture legislation and practice in the United States, and proposed a schedule of the core elements of what a model NCB statute should contain. The following document contains the notes from the presentation, […]
Why is it Taking so Long to Forfeit the Russian Yachts
My article on the on-going and protracted litigation regarding the efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice to seize and forfeit the assets of Russian oligarchs, based on their violations of the international sanctions imposed in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was presented as a paper at the Cambridge International Symposium on […]
Using Forfeiture to Recover Fraud Proceeds
In April 2025, I had the opportunity to give a presentation to the Maryland Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners on how to use the criminal and civil forfeiture laws to recover property in fraud cases and return it to victims. The following link is to my presentation, which includes numerous examples from […]