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 cases to seize and forfeit drug proceeds from low level drug dealers.  To the contrary, it is used extensively in high profile cases involving all manner of serious crime.

The list of cases posted below covers cases from 2021 – 2025, and is followed by an older list that goes back to 2013.  All together there are 20 pages of cases.  To make it accessible, I begin with the following summary and short list of notable examples.  The link to the full list is at the end.

The Government’s Use of Civil Forfeiture

The Justice Department’s use of civil asset forfeiture extends to a wide range of series crimes.  The following categories of cases are among those that appear most frequently in the case law.

 International Financial Crimes

A significant portion of civil forfeiture actions target assets related to international financial crimes. These cases often involve:

• Money laundering: The government frequently seeks to forfeit funds moved through the U.S. financial system as part of complex money laundering schemes.
• Sanctions violations: Assets involved in transactions that violate international sanctions, particularly those against countries like Iran and North Korea, are common targets.
• Foreign corruption: Proceeds from bribery, embezzlement, and other forms of corruption by foreign officials are routinely subject to forfeiture when moved into or through the United States.

Fraud and White-Collar Crime

Civil forfeiture is also used to recover proceeds from various forms of fraud:

• Healthcare fraud: Assets derived from fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs are often seized.
• Investment fraud: Proceeds from Ponzi schemes and other fraudulent investment operations are targeted.
• COVID-19 relief fraud: Recently, there has been a focus on recovering funds fraudulently obtained through pandemic relief programs like the Paycheck Protection Program.

 Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime

Traditional organized crime activities remain a significant focus of civil forfeiture actions:

• Drug proceeds: Cash, vehicles, and other assets tied to drug trafficking are routinely seized.
• Cryptocurrency: With the rise of digital currencies, forfeiture actions increasingly target crypto wallets containing proceeds from drug sales and other illicit activities.

Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Theft

As technology evolves, so do the targets of civil forfeiture:

• Cryptocurrency fraud: Assets derived from various cryptocurrency-related scams and frauds are increasingly subject to forfeiture.
• Online marketplaces: Funds connected to illegal online marketplaces, such as those selling contraband or stolen data, are targeted.

Cultural Property and Antiquities

The government uses civil forfeiture to recover culturally significant items:

• Stolen artifacts: Ancient artifacts and artworks illegally smuggled into the United States are subject to forfeiture and repatriation.
• Illegally imported items: Items imported in violation of customs laws or international agreements are seized.

Terrorism Financing

Assets connected to terrorist organizations or their supporters are prime targets for civil forfeiture:

• Cryptocurrency: Virtual currency accounts used to fund terrorist activities are increasingly subject to forfeiture actions.
• Front companies: Assets of companies acting as fronts for terrorist organizations are seized.

Notable Examples

Here are some notable examples of the recent use of civil forfeiture by federal law enforcement.  These cases demonstrate the wide range of financial assets targeted in high-profile civil forfeiture actions, from traditional bank accounts and real estate to cryptocurrencies and valuable commodities. They also highlight the global nature of many of these cases, involving international financial crimes, sanctions violations, and cross-border money laundering schemes.

International Corruption and Money Laundering

1. United States v. $299,218.48 in U.S. Currency, 719 F.Supp.3d 85 (D.D.C. 2024): This civil forfeiture case was brought to recover money sent into the U.S. by a Russian company attempting to purchase electronic parts for the Russian military but disguising it as a downpayment for goods for civilian use.

 

2. United States v. Real Property . . . 432 N. Oakhurst Dr., 2024 WL 1259430 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 25, 2024): This was an action against two condos and related investments traceable to money laundering by a former member of the Ukrainian Parliament revealed to be “an active Russian Agent.”

 

3. United States v. Approximately 22 Million in British Pounds, 2024 WL 4346344 (D.D.C. Sept. 27, 2024): This civil case was filed to recover assets traceable to bribes paid by energy company to the Chadian ambassador to the United States to gain the ambassador’s influence in obtaining energy development rights.

 Cryptocurrency

4. United States v. 113 Virtual Currency Accounts, 2024 WL 940141 (D.D.C. Mar. 5, 2024): This involved the recovery of hundreds of millions stolen by North Korean operatives from cryptocurrency exchanges as part of a scheme to use the stolen assets to fund North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

 

5. United States v. Approximately 1.10387626 Bitcoin, 2024 WL 490460 (E.D. Cal. Feb. 8, 2024): This was an action to recover the proceeds of a cryptocurrency fraud scheme by a person impersonating a Secret Service agent who induced victims to transfer funds to a digital wallet.

 

6. United States v. 280 Virtual Currency Accounts, 2024 WL 2049002 (D.D.C. May 8, 2024): This was another case was brought to recover funds stolen from cryptocurrency accounts at virtual currency exchanges by North Koreans to fund that country’s nuclear weapons program.

 Sanctions Violations and Terrorism Financing

7. United States v. $3,435,935 of Funds From Al-Naser Airlines, 2024 WL 1141610 (D.D.C. Mar. 15, 2024): This case was filed against the assets of a private Iraqi airline that sent millions of dollars to vendors in the United States to purchase airplanes on behalf of an Iranian airline involved in the support of terrorism.

 

8. United States v. 53 Virtual Currency Accounts, 2024 WL 4827321 (D.D.C. Nov. 19, 2024): This was an action against virtual currency involved international money laundering designed to provide material support to Hamas.

 

9. United States v. $3,435,676.57 in U.S. Currency, 2025 WL 2448454 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 12, 2025): This was case was filed to confiscate property involved in the sale of a music studio by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in violation of sanctions.

Fraud and White-Collar Crime

10. United States v. $1,756.03 in U.S. Currency, 2025 WL 593674 (E.D. Mich. Feb. 24, 2025): This case involved 18 bank accounts containing $12.6 million in fraud proceeds obtained by a contractor submitting inflated invoices and falsely claiming to be a minority owned business.

 

11. United States v. $12,204,262.89 in U.S. Currency, 2025 WL 1190773 (S.D. Ind. Apr. 23, 2025). The Government filed this case to recover $12 million derived from scheme to bill Medicare for COVID tests not requested by the recipients.

 

12. United States v. Approximately $325,690.00 Seized From Bank of America, 2025 WL 2307897 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 11, 2025). This case was an attempt to recover the proceeds of fraud perpetrated against an elderly woman deceived by a Chinese national into believing she was sending $1.05 million to an escrow company to purchase a new residence.

 

Conclusion

The range of civil forfeiture cases brought by the U.S. government is vast and evolving. From traditional drug trafficking and organized crime to complex international financial schemes and cutting-edge cybercrime, civil forfeiture laws are applied to a wide variety of criminal activities. The government’s use of these laws reflects its efforts to disrupt criminal enterprises by targeting their financial assets, recover proceeds of crime, and enforce international sanctions and agreements. As criminal activities continue to evolve, particularly in the digital realm, we can expect civil forfeiture actions to adapt accordingly, remaining a crucial tool in the government’s law enforcement arsenal.

 

Click here for the full list of cases: Civil Forfeiture Examples