More Funds Seizures in Maryland
Once again online gambling funds seizures in Maryland are in the news. It has been reported that funds amounting to $1.55 million were seized by the U.S. District Court. The funds were being handled by a payment processing company called HMD, Inc. Marcia Murphy, the spokeswoman for the Office of the Maryland U.S. Attorney, said that they would be immediately starting the civil forfeiture proceedings so as to enable the government to keep the seized funds.
This is not the first time that the Maryland authorities have seized online gambling funds. Last year a new Assets Forfeiture and Financial Crimes task force had been set up at the US Attorney’s Office in Baltimore, Maryland, in conjunction with the Louisiana State Police along with the U.S. Customs Office. In late 2009 seven warrants were obtained against accounts held by three other payment processors and funds seized from them. $2.2 million was seized from Electracash, $0.4 million was seized from Atrium Financial Group and $0.1 million seized from Forshay Enterprises. Agents from the newly constructed task force actually managed to join Golden Casino in order to pursue investigations against them.
Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, “Seizing and forfeiting ill-gotten gains enables us to take the profit out of crime and use the proceeds to compensate victims. This new unit will work with federal authorities and with state and local officials on a wide range of cases in which federal forfeiture and money laundering statutes can help punish and deter crime.” Rosenstein is a Bush holdover, but has the support of the Obama Administration.
