Opinion
20 Cr. 563 (JPO)
12-01-2022
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. CHRISTOPHER BOVAIN, a/k/a “Cleko,” Defendant.
DAMIAN WILLIAMS United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York EMILY A. JOHNSON / KAYLAN E. LASKY ASHLEY C. NICOLAS Assistant United States Attorneys CHRISTOPHER BOVAIN JESSE M. SIEGEL ESQ. Attorney for Defendant
DAMIAN WILLIAMS
United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York
EMILY A. JOHNSON / KAYLAN E. LASKY
ASHLEY C. NICOLAS
Assistant United States Attorneys
CHRISTOPHER BOVAIN
JESSE M. SIEGEL ESQ.
Attorney for Defendant
CONSENT PRELIMINARY ORDER OF FORFEITURE/ MONEY JUDGMENT
HONORABLE J. PAUL OETKEN UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
WHEREAS, on or about October 22, 2020, CHRISTOPHER BOVAIN, a/k/a “Cleko” (the “Defendant”), among others, was charged in three counts of a four-count sealed Indictment, 20 Cr. 563 (JPO) (the “Indictment”), with conspiracy to steal government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 (Count One); conspiracy to commit bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 (Count Two); and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A(a)(1), 1028(b) and 2 (Count Four);
WHEREAS, the Indictment included a forfeiture allegation as to Count One of the Indictment, seeking forfeiture to the United States, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 981(a)(1)(C) and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c), of any and all property, real and personal, that constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the commission of the offense charged in Count One of the Indictment, including but not limited to a sum of money in United States currency, representing the amount of proceeds traceable to the commission of the offense charged in Count One of the Indictment;
WHEREAS, the Indictment included a second forfeiture allegation with respect to Count Two of the Indictment, seeking forfeiture to the United States, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 982(a)(2)(A), of any property constituting, or derived from, proceeds the Defendant obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of the offense charged in Count Two of the Indictment, including but not limited to a sum of money in United States currency, representing the proceeds traceable to the commission of the offense charged in Count Two of the Indictment;
WHEREAS, on or about December 1, 2022, the Defendant pled guilty to Counts One and Two of the Indictment, pursuant to a plea agreement with the Government, wherein the Defendant admitted the forfeiture allegations with respect to Counts One and Two of the Indictment and agreed to forfeit to the United States: (i) pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 981(a)(1)(C) and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c), a sum of money equal to $108,947.22 in United States currency, representing the proceeds traceable to the commission of the offense alleged in Count One of the Indictment; and (ii) pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 982(a)(2)(A), a sum of money equal to $12,319.01 in United States currency, representing the proceeds traceable to the commission of the offense alleged in Count Two of the Indictment;
WHEREAS, the Defendant consents to the entry of a money judgment in the amount of $121,266.23 in United States currency, of which $108,947.22 represents the proceeds traceable to the offense charged in Count One of the Indictment that the Defendant personally obtained, and $12,319.01 represents the amount of proceeds traceable to the offense charged in Count Two of the Indictment that the Defendant personally obtained; and
WHEREAS, the Defendant admits that, as a result of acts and/or omissions of the Defendant, the proceeds traceable to the offenses charged in Counts One and Two of the Indictment that the Defendant personally obtained cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence.
IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED, by and between the United States of America, by its attorney Damian Williams, United States Attorney, Assistant United States Attorneys Emily A. Johnson, Kaylan E. Lasky, and Ashley C. Nicolas, of counsel, and the Defendant and his counsel, Jesse M. Siegel, Esq., that:
1. As a result of the offenses charged in Counts One and Two of the Indictment, to which the Defendant pled guilty, a money judgment in the amount of $121,266.23 in United States currency (the “Money Judgment”), representing the proceeds traceable to the offenses charged in Counts One and Two of the Indictment that the Defendant personally obtained, shall be entered against the Defendant.
2. Pursuant to Rule 32.2(b)(4) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, this Consent Preliminary Order of Forfeiture/Money Judgment is final as to the Defendant CHRISTOPHER BOVAIN, and shall be deemed part of the sentence of the Defendant, and shall be included in the judgment of conviction therewith. .
3. All payments on the outstanding money judgment shall be made by postal money order, bank or certified check, made payable, in this instance, to the United States Marshals Service, and delivered by mail to the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, Attn: Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit, One St. Andrew's Plaza, New York, New York 10007 and shall indicate the Defendant's name and case number.
4. The United States Marshals Service is authorized to deposit the payments on the Money Judgment into the Assets Forfeiture Fund, and the United States shall have clear title to such forfeited property.
5. Pursuant to Title 21, United States Code, Section 853(p), the United States is authorized to seek forfeiture of substitute assets of the Defendant up to the uncollected amount of the Money Judgment.
6. Pursuant to Rule 32.2(b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the United States Attorney's Office is authorized to conduct any discovery needed to identify, locate or dispose of forfeitable property, including depositions, interrogatories, requests for production of documents and the issuance of subpoenas.
7. The Court shall retain jurisdiction to enforce this Consent Preliminary Order of Forfeiture/Money Judgment, and to amend it as necessary, pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
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8. The signature page of this Consent Preliminary Order of Forfeiture/Money Judgment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.
SO ORDERED.