Case 1:20-cv-04322 Document 1 Filed 06/05/20 Page 1 of 274 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK KEVIN KING, STEPHANIE ANN MILLER, JOSE ALEMAN, STEPHANIE HAGER, SHANNON DENISE COLLINS, ANGELA KAHLER, SCOTT BENNEDSEN, TRACY COMPLAINT UNDER THE BENNEDSEN, JAMIE JOHANNA COATES, ANTI-TERRORISM ACT BRIANNA N. BENSON, FREDERICK C. (18 U.S.C. § 2333) BENSON, BEVERLY MILLS, KATHERINE ABREU-BORDER, JANICE HARRIMAN BRYANT, S.L.B., by and through his next JURY TRIAL DEMANDED friend Janice Harriman Bryant, WILLIAM MICHAEL BURLEY, MICHAEL COLLINS, DAN OLMSTEAD, TAMMY OLMSTEAD, AUGUST CABRERA, CORBIN CABRERA, DANIEL MATIAS CABRERA, GILLIAN No. 1:20-cv-4322 LEIGH CABRERA, M.G.C., by and through his next friend August Cabrera, R.X.C., by and through his next friend August Cabrera, ROBERT CABRERA, RONALD PAUL HOPKINS, SUZANNE RENAE MARTINEZ, JD PROSSER, GLORIA DIANE TRELFA, ARTHUR CAMPBELL, AUDREY CAMPBELL, TINA MARIE CAMPBELL, KARMA CHISHOLM, GLENN CHISHOLM, LINDA REYNOLDS, APRIL CLEARY, JONATHAN CLEARY, DAVID AARON CROW, JUDITH SARA DARROUGH, ROBERT CHARLES DARROUGH, B.C.D., by and through his next friend Kelli Dodge, KELLI DODGE, P.A.D., by and through her next friend Kelli Dodge, VANESSA MARIE ANZURES, BRIAN EDWARD ELLIS, JULIE ANN ELLIS, VICTOR RAYMOND ELLIS, CATHERINE ELM BOATWRIGHT, MARGARET ELM CAMPBELL, DENNIS JOHN ELM, DONNA LEE ELM, MATTHEW ELM, CHRISTINE RANGEL, LOUELLA E. Case 1:20-cv-04322 Document 1 Filed 06/05/20 Page 2 of 274 FRISON, EMMITT DWAYNE BURNS, JANICE CARUSO, PATRICIA GOINS, PAUL EDWARD GOINS III, DANA RAINEY, ANN L. GOULD, JAMES A. GOULD, JULIANNA SYMKOWIAK, CAROL GRIFFIN, DANIEL GRIFFIN, MATT GRIFFIN, SHAWN PATRICK GRIFFIN, SHEILA RISTAINO, CARLOS BENJAMIN GROSS PANIAGUA, FELICIA GROSS PANIAGUA, SOCORRO GROSS PANIAGUA, CARLOS BENJAMIN GROSS RIOS SR., JERRY HARDISON, JUSTINA HARDISON, TERESA HARDISON, TIFFANY DOTSON, ASHLEY MICHELLE HARRIS, FELICIA ANN HARRIS, SORAINYA HARRIS, TENNYSON CHARLES HARRIS, CHRISTOPHER WAYNE JOHNSON, DAVID L. PARKER, MICHAEL RUFUS II, STEPHANIE RUFUS, ALEX HENIGAN, ADAM MATTHEW JAYNE, PAUL ELMER JAYNE, G.A.S., by and through his next friend Kent Alan Skeens, KENT ALAN SKEENS, SHERRY A. SKEENS, T.L.S., by and through his next friend Kent Alan Skeens, Z.R.S., by and through her next friend Kent Alan Skeens, BARCLAY KAMALESON, CADE KAMALESON, CEDRIC PAUL KAMALESON, NICOLE KAMALESON, SUNDERRAJ MARK KAMALESON, ABBY KNAPP-MORRIS, K.K., by and through her next friend Abby Knapp-Morris, BRANDON KORONA, BRIAN LAMBKA, JORDAN LAMBKA, L.A.E.L.B., by and through her next friend Natasha Buchanan, NATASHA BUCHANAN, S.L.L.B., by and through her next friend Natasha Buchanan, DOUGLAS A. LANDPHAIR, JEAN S. LANDPHAIR, MEREDITH LANDPHAIR, C. RICHARD LOONEY, MARTHA LOONEY, MARTIN E. Case 1:20-cv-04322 Document 1 Filed 06/05/20 Page 3 of 274 MADDEN, PAMELA J. MADDEN, MARTIN P. MADDEN, LINDSEY R. MALDONADO, KARYN STONE MARTA, LAWRENCE MARTA, TAYLOR MARTA, BOB SURPRENANT, KRISTIE SURPRENANT, CODY CHEYENNE MAYS, TAMMY RENEE MAYS, THOMAS PIERCE MAYS, ALYSON OVERMAN RODGERS, CHARMAINE RENEE GILBERT, JORDAN GILBERT, M.M., by and through his next friend Sonja McDaniel, SONJA MCDANIEL, JASMINE THOMAS, KATHLEEN MCEVOY, MICHELLE ROSE MCEVOY, PATRICK CHARLES MCEVOY, JANICE H. PROCTOR, LUANN VARNEY, SHANNON K. MCNULTY, MISTY MARIE BARCLAY, ALEXANDER LEE MITTLER, CRISTINE MITTLER, TERRY MITTLER, JOYCE L. TURNER, GABRIEL NEGRON, JOSE NEGRON, MARIBEL NEGRON, MARVIN NEGRON, MARTA TORRES, DERRICK ANTHONY DAVIS, AMANDA NEWMAN, DONALD EDWARD NEWMAN SR., BRANDON NICHOLS, CYNTHIA NICHOLS, DOUGLAS NICHOLS, THOMAS PRIOLO, JESSICA NOVAK CRUZ, SUSAN NOVAK, CHRISTA L. OSBORN, CREIGHTON DAVID OSBORN, KADE M. OSBORN, KATLYN M. OSBORN, MICHELLE HOCK, RANEE MASSONI, JORDAN PLUNK, JUSTIN T. PLUNK, GLENDA WILLARD, BLAINE A. REDDING, DAVID REED, HEATHER L. REED, CASSIE MARIE RICHARDSON, CHRISTOPHER POWERS, H.R., by and through her next friend Randy Ristau, RANDY RISTAU, SUZANNE RISTAU, CARLOS CRUZ, JOEL C. CRUZ, E.N.R., by and through his next friend Jannett Cecilia Roberts, MIGUEL ANGEL NATHANIEL ROBERTS, Case 1:20-cv-04322 Document 1 Filed 06/05/20 Page 4 of 274 JANNETT CECILIA ROBERTS, R.G., by and through her next friend Leslie Rodriguez, LESLIE RODRIGUEZ, ANGEL R. ROLDAN, LIESELOTTE R. ROLDAN, MATTHIAS P. ROLDAN, SAMANTHA G. ROLDAN, COLLEEN WHIPPLE, BRANDON TYLER SCHMIDT, LEEANN SCHMIDT, PHILLIP J. SCHMIDT, G.S., by and through his next friend Georganne M. Siercks, G.S., by and through his next friend Georganne M. Siercks, GEORGANNE M. SIERCKS, JOAN M. SMEDINGHOFF, MARK T. SMEDINGHOFF, MARY BETH SMEDINGHOFF, REGINA C. SMEDINGHOFF, THOMAS SMEDINGHOFF, ADRIAN CARRILLO SOLTERO, GUSTAVO ALFONSO SOLTERO SR., MARIA SOLTERO, JAN MARIE HURNBLAD SPARKS, ERIK SPARKS, GARRY LEE SPARKS, JANE SPARKS, ZACHARY DOUGLAS SPARKS, LISA MARTINUSEN, MARIE SENTINA MIELKE, ANNETTE SPEHAR, JACOB LOUIS SPEHAR, LUKE SPEHAR, PATRICK SPEHAR, MITCHELL L. STAMBAUGH, GARRETT LAYNE FUNK, ERIN NICOLE GOSS, TRECIA BROCK HOOD, WENDY SHEDD, FREDDIE DEWEY SUTTON, HARRIET SUTTON, SUMMER BREANNE SUTTON, EVELYN TAYLOR, DIANE TIMONEY, GREGORY TIMONEY, RYAN GREGORY TIMONEY, BARRY WELCH, LORRIA WELCH, ZACKARY WELCH, BRIAN GREGORY CLYBURN, DAVID WHIPPLE, KIMBERLEY A. WHIPPLE, SEAN WHIPPLE, MICHELLE CAROLINA ROTELLI, MARTHA CAROLINA SMITH, individually, and for the estate of JAMES T. WICKLIFF-CHACIN, THOMAS ELMER WICKLIFF, ABRILL RENEE WILLIAMS- Case 1:20-cv-04322 Document 1 Filed 06/05/20 Page 5 of 274 OSBOURNE, CLARENCE WILLIAMS JR., TALISA SHERVON WILLIAMS, SAMANTHA SHERVON WILLIAMS, MICHELLE ZIMMERMAN, BAILY ZIMMERMAN, CHRIS LEE ZIMMERMAN, Plaintiffs, v. HABIB BANK LIMITED, Defendant. Ryan R. Sparacino Tejinder Singh (pro hac vice forthcoming) (SDNY Bar No. TS0613) SPARACINO PLLC GOLDSTEIN & RUSSELL, P.C. 1920 L Street, NW, Suite 535 7475 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 850 Washington, DC 20036 Bethesda, MD 20814 Tel: 202.629.3530 Tel: 202.362.0636 [email protected] Fax: 866.574.2033 [email protected] Case 1:20-cv-04322 Document 1 Filed 06/05/20 Page 6 of 274 TABLE OF CONTENTS NATURE OF THE ACTION ....................................................................................1 THE PARTIES ...........................................................................................................7 JURISDICTION AND VENUE ................................................................................7 FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS ....................................................................................8 I. The al-Qaeda Terror Syndicate .................................................................. 9 A. Al-Qaeda..............................................................................................10 B. Taliban and the Haqqani Network ......................................................12 C. Lashkar-e-Taiba ...................................................................................30 D. Jaish-e-Mohammed .............................................................................42 E. The Kabul Attack Network .................................................................50 II. Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Knowingly Provided Material and Substantial Support to Terrorists and Terrorist Organizations ................53 A. HBL Knowingly Provided Material Support to Members of the al-Qaeda Terror Syndicate and Their Agents ......................................53 B. HBL Acted With the Requisite Scienter for Primary and Secondary Liability .............................................................................80 C. HBL’s Assistance to the al-Qaeda Terror Syndicate Was Substantial, and Caused Terrorist Attacks ........................................102 D. HBL’s Assistance to the al-Qaeda Terror Syndicate Had a Substantial Nexus to the United States .............................................107 III. Al-Qaeda Committed, Planned And Authorized The Terrorist Attacks That Injured Plaintiffs ...............................................................117 A. Al-Qaeda Led the Syndicate .............................................................118 B. Al-Qaeda Authorized and Planned Taliban Terrorist Attacks ..........125 C. Al-Qaeda Directly Participated in Taliban Terrorist Attacks ...........145 IV. The Plaintiffs ..........................................................................................152 CLAIMS FOR RELIEF .........................................................................................261 PRAYER FOR RELIEF ........................................................................................267 i Case 1:20-cv-04322 Document 1 Filed 06/05/20 Page 7 of 274 Plaintiffs, by their attorneys, allege the following: NATURE OF THE ACTION 1. This is an action under the Anti-Terrorism Act (“ATA”) as amended by the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (“JASTA”), 18 U.S.C. § 2333(a) and (d), brought on behalf of Americans injured and the families of Americans killed in a series of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan from mid-2010 through early 2019. The attacks were perpetrated by members of a syndicate of terrorist organizations led by al-Qaeda—referred to in this Complaint as the “al-Qaeda Terror Syndicate” or the “Syndicate.” 2. The attacks were planned, authorized, and committed by al-Qaeda, typically in conjunction with one or more other members of the Syndicate. These members include al-Qaeda, which was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (“FTO”) by the U.S. government in 1999; Lashkar-e-Taiba (“LeT” or “LT”), a Pakistani terrorist organization designated an FTO in