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Inconsistency in Asset Forfeiture Laws Makes International Seizures Difficult, Says Federal Prosecutor

Inconsistent international forfeiture laws continue to hamper global asset forfeitures, according to Stefan D. Cassella, chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering section of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland. Cassella, who is the former Deputy Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering section of the U.S. Justice Department, spoke with reporter Larissa Bernardes about current trends in asset forfeiture and discussed some previous prosecutions, including of the now defunct Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), which resulted in a $1.2 billion forfeiture. What follows is an edited transcript of that conversation. How has asset forfeiture changed...

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