United States v. Patel

MEMORANDUM OPINION

MICHAEL F. URBANSKI, District Judge.

In this contraband cigarette trafficking and money laundering prosecution, defendant Anjay Patel (“Patel”) seeks to modify the protective order to release assets restrained by the government in pretrial forfeiture. In the notice of forfeiture appended to the indictment, the government seeks to forfeit $20.9 million in Patel’s assets, representing the purchase price of the contraband cigarettes bought by members of the Patel conspiracy. Patel claims that: (1) there is insufficient probable cause to support restraint at the $20.9 million…