Case 2:20-cv-08466 Document 1 Filed 09/16/20 Page 1 of 300 Page ID #:1 1 DEBORAH CONNOR, Chief Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section (MLARS) 2 MARY BUTLER, Chief, International Unit WOO S. LEE, Deputy Chief, International Unit 3 BARBARA Y. LEVY, Trial Attorney JOSHUA L. SOHN, Trial Attorney 4 JONATHAN BAUM, Trial Attorney Criminal Division 5 United States Department of Justice 1400 New York Avenue, N.W. 10th Floor 6 Washington, D.C. 20530 Telephone: (202) 514-1263 7 Email: [email protected] 8 Attorneys for Plaintiff 9 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 10 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 11 FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 12 13 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. CV 2:20-cv-8466 14 Plaintiff, VERIFIED COMPLAINT FOR 15 v. FORFEITURE IN REM 16 ALL FUNDS HELD IN ESCROW BY [18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(A) and (C)] 17 CLYDE & CO. IN THE UNITED 18 KINGDOM AS DAMAGES OR [F.B.I.] RESTITUTION IN PETROSAUDI V. 19 PDVSA UNCITRAL ARBITRATION, 20 Defendant. 21 22 The United States of America (the “government”) brings this complaint against 23 the above-captioned asset and alleges as follows: 24 PERSONS AND ENTITIES 25 1. The plaintiff is the United States of America. 26 2. The defendants in this action are all funds held in escrow by Clyde & Co. in 27 the United Kingdom as damages or restitution in the 2017 UNCITRAL arbitration 28 Case 2:20-cv-08466 Document 1 Filed 09/16/20 Page 2 of 300 Page ID #:2 1 between PetroSaudi Oil Services (Venezuela) Ltd. and PDVSA Servicios S.A. et al., as 2 more particularly described in Attachment A (“DEFENDANT ASSETS”). 3 3. The persons and entities whose interests may be affected by this action are 4 PetroSaudi International; PetroSaudi Oil Services (Venezuela) Ltd.; 1MDB PetroSaudi, 5 Ltd.; Tarek Obaid; and Patrick Mahony. 6 4. Plaintiff has previously filed the following complaints, seeking civil 7 forfeiture of the following assets (referred collectively as the “SUBJECT ASSETS”): 8 a. Case number CV 16-5362 DSF (PLAx), United States v. The Wolf of 9 Wall Street Motion Picture, Including any Rights to Profits, Royalties and Distribution 10 Proceeds owed to Red Granite Pictures, Inc. or its Affiliates and/or Assigns (“THE 11 WOLF OF WALL STREET”). 12 b. Case number CV 16-5368 DSF (PLAx), United States v. The Real 13 Property Known as The Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills (“THE L’ERMITAGE 14 PROPERTY”). 15 c. Case number CV 16-5369 DSF (PLAx) United States v. All Business 16 Assets of The Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, Including All Chattels and Intangible 17 Assets, Inventory, Equipment, and All Leases, Rents and Profits Derived Therefrom 18 (“THE L’ERMITAGE BUSINESS ASSETS”). 19 d. Case number CV 16-5377 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 20 Property located in Beverly Hills, California (“HILLCREST PROPERTY 1”). 21 e. Case number CV 16-5371 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 22 Property Located in New York, New York (“PARK LAUREL CONDOMINIUM”). 23 f. Case number CV 16-5367 DSF (PLAx) United States v. One 24 Bombardier Global 5000 Jet Aircraft, Bearing Manufacturer’s Serial Number 9265 and 25 Registration Number N689WM, its Tools and Appurtenances, and Aircraft Logbooks 26 (“BOMBARDIER JET”). 27 g. Case number CV 16-5374 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 28 Property Located in New York, New York (“TIME WARNER PENTHOUSE”). 2 Case 2:20-cv-08466 Document 1 Filed 09/16/20 Page 3 of 300 Page ID #:3 1 h. Case number CV 16-5378 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 2 Property located in Los Angeles, California (“ORIOLE MANSION”). 3 i. Case number CV 16-5375 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 4 Property Located in New York, New York (“GREENE CONDOMINIUM”). 5 j. Case number CV 16-5364 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Any Rights 6 to Profits, Royalties and Distribution Proceeds Owned by or Owed to JW Nile (BVI) 7 Ltd., JCL Media (EMI Publishing Ltd), and/or Jynwel Capital Ltd, Relating to EMI 8 Music Publishing Group North America Holdings, Inc., and D.H. Publishing L.P., Inc. 9 and D.H. Publishing L.P. (“EMI ASSETS”). 10 k. Case number CV 16-5370 DSF (PLAx) United States v. All Right to 11 and Interest in Symphony CP (Park Lane) LLC, Held or Acquired, Directly or 12 Indirectly, by Symphony CP Investments LLC and/or Symphony CP Investments 13 Holdings LLC, Including Any Interest Held or Secured by the Real Property and 14 Appurtenances Located at 36 Central Park South, New York, New York, Known as The 15 Park Lane Hotel, Any Right to Collect and Receive Any Profits and Proceeds 16 Therefrom, and Any Interest Derived From the Proceeds Invested in The Symphony CP 17 (Park Lane) LLC by Symphony CP Investments LLC and Symphony CP (Park Lane) 18 LLC (“SYMPHONY CP (PARK LANE) LLC ASSETS”). 19 l. Case number CV 16-5376 DSF (PLAx) United States v. United States 20 v. Real Property Located in New York, New York (“WALKER TOWER 21 PENTHOUSE”). 22 m. Case number CV 16-5379 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 23 Property located in Beverly Hills, California (“LAUREL BEVERLY HILLS 24 MANSION”). 25 n. Case number CV 16-5366 DSF (PLAx) United States v. one pen and 26 ink drawing by Vincent Van Gogh titled “La maison de Vincent a Arles” (“VAN 27 GOGH ARTWORK”). 28 3 Case 2:20-cv-08466 Document 1 Filed 09/16/20 Page 4 of 300 Page ID #:4 1 o. Case number CV 16-5366 DSF (PLAx) United States v. One painting 2 by Claude Monet titled “Saint-Georges Majeur” (“SAINT GEORGES PAINTING”). 3 p. Case number CV 16-5366 DSF (PLAx) United States v. 4 €25,227,025.83 Euros held in an escrow account at UBS, S.A. in Switzerland 5 constituting the proceeds of the sale of a painting by Claude Monet titled “Nympheas” 6 (“PETITE NYPMHEAS PROCEEDS”). 7 q. Case number CV 16-5380 DSF (PLAx) United States v Real 8 Property in London, United Kingdom, owned by Qentas Holdings (“THE QENTAS 9 TOWNHOUSE”). 10 r. Case number CV 17-4240 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 11 Property in London, United Kingdom owned by Stratton Street (London) Ltd. (“THE 12 STRATTON PENTHOUSE”). 13 s. Case number CV 17-4242 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 14 Property in London, United Kingdom owned by Seven Stratton Street (London) Ltd. 15 (“STRATTON FLAT”). 16 t. Case number CV 17-4244 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 17 Property in London, United Kingdom owned by Eight Nine Stratton Street (London) 18 Ltd. (“STRATTON OFFICE BUILDING”). 19 u. Case number CV 17-4438 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Certain 20 rights To and Interests In The Viceroy Hotel Group. (“THE VICEROY HOTEL 21 GROUP ASSETS”). 22 v. Case number CV 17-4439 DSF (PLAx) United States v. All rights To 23 and Interests In The Motion Pictures “Daddy’s Home” and “Dumb and Dumber To,” 24 Belonging to red Granite Pictures. (“DUMB AND DUMBER TO RIGHTS” and 25 “DADDY’S HOME RIGHTS”). 26 w. Case number CV 17-4441 DSF (PLAx) United States v. All Right and 27 title to the Yacht M/Y Equanimity. (“THE EQUANIMITY”). 28 4 Case 2:20-cv-08466 Document 1 Filed 09/16/20 Page 5 of 300 Page ID #:5 1 x. Case number CV 17-4446 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Certain 2 Rights to and Interests in Shares of Series D Preferred Stock in Palantir Technologies 3 (“PALANTIR STOCK”). 4 y. Case number CV 17-4440 DSF (PLAx) United States v. One 5 Metropolis Poster (“METROPOLIS POSTER”). 6 z. Case number CV 17-4444 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 7 Property Located in New York, New York (“ONE MADISON PARK 8 CONDOMINIUM”). 9 aa. Case number CV 17-4448 DSF (PLAx) United States v. All Rights to 10 and Interests in the Shares of Flywheel Common Stock Held or Acquired by FW Sports 11 Investments LLC (“FLYWHEEL SHARES”). 12 bb. Case number CV 17-4445 DSF (PLAx) United States v. One 18- 13 Carat White Gold Diamond Jewelry Set et al. (“11.72-CARAT HEART-SHAPED 14 DIAMOND”). 15 cc. Case number CV 17-4445 DSF (PLAx) United States v. One 18- 16 Carat White Gold Diamond Jewelry Set et al. (“8.88-CARAT DIAMOND 17 PENDANT”). 18 dd. Case number CV 17-4445 DSF (PLAx) United States v. One Pair of 19 Diamond Earrings and Matching Diamond Ring (“MATCHING DIAMOND 20 JEWELRY SET”). 21 ee. Case number CV 17-4449 DSF (PLAx) United States v. One Pair of 22 Diamond Earrings and Matching Diamond Ring (“MATCHING DIAMOND RING 23 AND EARRINGS”). 24 ff. Case number CV 17-4443 DSF (PLAx) United States v. One Painting 25 Entitled “Nature Morte Au Crane De Taureau” by Pablo Picasso, One Collage Entitled 26 “Redman One” by Jean-Michel Basquiat, and One Photograph Entitled “Boy With the 27 Toy Hand Grenade” by Diane Arbus (“PICASSO PAINTING”, “BASQUIAT 28 COLLAGE” and “ARBUS PHOTOGRAPH”, respectively). 5 Case 2:20-cv-08466 Document 1 Filed 09/16/20 Page 6 of 300 Page ID #:6 1 gg. Case number CV 19-1325 DSF (PLAx) United States v. 2 $5,407,252.87 In Funds Constituting the Sale Proceeds of Real Property Located in 3 New York, New York (“OCEANA 57”). 4 hh. Case number CV 19-1326 DSF (PLAx) United States v. Real 5 Property Located in London, United Kingdom titled in the name of Red Mountain 6 Global Ltd.