Interesting Government Motion in US v. Parnas (this is a good one)

[jberryhill]

So, Lev Parnas recently sought a modification of his conditions of release, since he wants some outdoor time now that the weather is getting chilly.

The government's response is interesting - not only do they oppose, but they have a renewed concern that Parnas should be locked up.

Original document for those who prefer actual facts:

https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.524341/gov.uscourts.nysd.524341.44.0.pdf

Some highlights I found interesting:

Parnas poses a significant risk of flight for several reasons, the chief among which are his
considerable ties abroad and access to seemingly limitless sources of foreign funding. Parnas has
extensive and significant international ties, particularly in Ukraine, the country of his birth. Over
the past two years, Parnas traveled repeatedly to Ukraine, and met with numerous Ukrainian
government officials, including officials at the very highest level of government. More broadly,
Parnas has traveled abroad more than twenty times over the past four years, including on a nearly
monthly basis in 2019. Parnas took circuitous travel routes that obscured his final destination,
such as by departing the U.S. for one country, but returning from a different country on a different
airline. Parnas traveled internationally by private jet as recently as this year; bank account records
from Account-1 show that Parnas spent more than $70,000 on private air travel in September 2019
alone. It also bears noting that Parnas could easily flee the country from the Southern District of
Florida, where Parnas resides: the District is home to at least five international airports, numerous
private airports, and international marine terminals. It would not be difficult for Parnas to leave
the United States and live abroad: he also speaks fluent Russian, appears to own no property within
the United States aside from two vehicles, and his wife and children could flee with him.

In addition, Parnas’s close ties abroad include connections to Russian and Ukrainian
nationals of nearly limitless means, including Foreign National-1 and a Ukrainian oligarch living
in Vienna who is currently fighting extradition to this country. Parnas has proven adept at gaining
access to foreign funding: in the last three years, Parnas received in excess of $1.5 million from
Ukrainian and Russian sources. In sum, given Parnas’s significant, high-level connections to
powerful and wealthy Ukrainians and at least one Russian national, he could quickly and easily
flee the United States for Ukraine or another foreign country, and recoup the security posted to his
bond. It is difficult to overstate the extreme flight risk that Parnas poses.

Moreover, given the information that has emerged about Parnas’s true financial picture—
which he did not disclose to Pretrial or the Government at the time of his arrest—it is clear that
the existing bail package is woefully insufficient to ensure Parnas’s appearance. Parnas provided
a materially misleading picture of his assets and income to Pretrial Services and the Government
in order to secure his release on terms that were favorable to Parnas. Parnas has posted $200,000
to secure his bond, based on his representations that it was all the money or property he could post.
But given that Parnas received over a $1 million in September 2019 alone, intended to purchase a
home worth approximately $4.5 million, and has access to other sources of funding that equal or
exceed the amount of the bond, it is clear that $200,000 is not a meaningful amount of money to
Parnas.

The whole thing is a pretty gripping read.

Don't let others decide for you what matters.

[getagrip_already]

1. "Russian and Ukrainian nationals of nearly limitless means, including Foreign National-1"

"Foreign National-1"=Putin?

[erronis]

2. With essentially unlimited funding plus some unsavory "friends" how to keep dear Lev in town?

Even in a federal pokey money ($s/roubles) have a way of greasing palms and opening doors.

Besides, I thought Lev was going to come clean, do a tell-all, be a true USA patriot. Why would he want to leave this fine country?

[ToxMarz]

3. I have a feeling all his talk of wanting to cooperate with Congress

is really just a warning flare to his handlers and Trump/Barr et al to get him out of here NOW! And maybe a head fake to get some sort of release from custody so they can.

[NJCher]

4. Rachel covering this in detail tonight

This is quite an amazing development.
This isn't drip...drip...drip...
This is like the sewer main in your house breaking wide open.

[jberryhill]

8. It's surprising how little attention the adventures of Mr. Parnas receives

Not that I'd trust him to testify as far as I can throw him, but he is like the Forrest Gump of Trump conspiracies - he just pops up everywhere.

[Takket]

5. Parnas is the one that supposedly wanted to "flip"

so can we assume that if the feds are going to crack down on him, that isn't going to happen?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

6. I'm shocked. this reads like the U.S. attorney doesn't trust Parnas

[jberryhill]

7. One interesting thing

...was the catalog of instances where someone with an ankle monitor got away.

[NJCher]

9. can you tell a bit more about that?

I know that's the reason Harvey Weinstein's bond money got moved up a million.

Other than that, I haven't heard about this.

[jberryhill]

10. This section here

I meant this section of the brief:


It is an unfortunate reality that defendants regularly flee the United States even though they are on GPS monitoringa nd their passports have been seized. See, e.g., United States v. Rufai, 19 Cr. 201 (DLC) (defendant on electronic monitoring cut his bracelet and fled to Canada although he had surrendered his passport); United States v. Raza, 18 Cr. 398 (VEC) (defendant on GPS monitoring fled and is believed to have left the country, although he had surrendered his passport); United States v. Camarena-Familia, 18 Cr. 649 (KPF) (defendant on GPS monitoring fled to the Dominican Republic although he had surrendered his passport); United States v. Rodriguez, 18 Cr. 149 (RA) (defendant on electronic monitoring fled); United States v. Felix-Leonardo, 17 Cr. 636 (KPF) (defendant on electronic monitoring fled to the Dominican Republic using a new passport, although he had surrendered his passport); United States v. Liriano, 17 Cr. 388 (KMW) (defendant on location monitoring fled and is believed to have left the country, although he had surrendered his passport); United States v. Calderron-Cebbalos, 17 Cr. 409 (KPF) (defendant on location monitoring cut off his bracelet and fled to Canada); United States v. Elm, 16 Cr. 356 (ER) (defendant fled to Canada although he had surrendered his passport ); United States v. Atuana, 16 Cr. 672 (KPF) (defendant obtained new U.S. passport and left the country although he had surrendered his passport); United States v. Ceglia, 12 Cr. 876 (VSB) (defendant on GPS monitoring fled to Canada despite surrendering his passport).

[NJCher]

11. that's amazing!

thanks.

[jberryhill]

12. If you google those case names, you will probably find the particulars of those stories

[NJCher]

13. I'll probably do that

I'm a criminal justice activist and I need to know the pitfalls of electronic monitoring.

[jberryhill]

14. This guy is fun...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-ceglia/u-s-says-accused-facebook-fraudster-ceglia-a-fugitive-after-ecuador-freed-him-idUSKCN1TP21M

Paul Ceglia, 45, a wood pellet salesman from Wellsville in upstate New York, was released from Ecuador’s custody earlier this month, 9-1/2 months after his August 2018 arrest.

He had previously been missing since March 2015, when he removed his electronic ankle bracelet and disappeared from the United States with his wife, two sons and a dog.

I too had no idea that people do this.

And the dog!