The Oklahoma Bar Journal March 2023

form to provide a claim deadline after petition denial similar to the CBP’s seizure notice letter. 33 Until then, when in doubt, file a claim.

3. An in-depth discussion of all the various laws relating to federal forfeitures and distinctions between them is beyond the scope of this article. However, a great resource is Cassella’s Asset Forfeiture Law in the United States , supra . 4. Asset Forfeiture Policy Manual at 68 (2021). 5. Cassella, supra §1-4, at 10. 6. 37 C.J.S. Forfeitures §35. 7. United States v. Von Neumann , 474 U.S. 242, 250 (1986); 37 C.J.S. Forfeitures §35. 8. 18 U.S.C. §983(a)(3); Cassella , supra §4-6, at 144. Criminal forfeitures are handled in 21 U.S.C. §853(n); 37 C.J.S. Forfeitures §35. 9. 37 C.J.S. Forfeitures §35. 10. Asset Forfeiture Policy Manual at 155 (2021). 11. United States v. Shigemura , 664 F.3d 310, 312 (10th Cir. 2011). 12. Cassella , supra §5-2, at 179-183; 18 U.S.C. §983(e)(5). 13. For example, DOJ subagencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE). See www.justice.gov/agencies/chart. 14. The CBP is a sub-agency of the Department of Homeland Security. See https://bit.ly/40TcDAM. 15. An example of an FBI seizure notice is available here: https://bit.ly/3jPDCMW. 16. An example of a DEA seizure notice is available here: https://bit.ly/3jMZZmd. 17. Id. at 2 ¶II . 18. Id. at 1 ¶I. B., 2 ¶II. B.; 28 C.F.R. §8.10(a); 18 U.S.C. §983(a)(2)(B). 19. Id. at 2 ¶II. G ; 28 C.F.R. §8.10(e); 18 U.S.C. §983(a)(3).

20. An example of a CBP seizure notice is available here: https://bit.ly/3YqDe6l. 21. Id. at 1-3 . 22. Id. at 1-5 . 23. Id. at 1 . 24. Id. at 2, 5 ; 19 C.F.R. §162.94(b); 18 U.S.C. §983(a)(2)(B). 25. 19 C.F.R. §162.94(b); 18 U.S.C. §983(a)(2)(B). 26. 18 U.S.C. §983(a)(3); Cassella , supra §4-6, at 144. Criminal forfeitures are handled in 21 U.S.C. §853(n). 27. 18 U.S.C. §983(a)(3). 28. Id. ; Fed. R. Civ. P. tit. XIII, R. A. 29. 21 U.S.C. §853; Fed. R. Crim. P. 32.2. 30. Fed. R. Crim. P. 32.2(b). 31. Supra, note 16 at 2 ¶II. G. ; 28 C.F.R. §9.4. 32. See 28 C.F.R. §9.1(b) (describing who has authority to grant remission and mitigation). 33. 18 U.S.C. §983(a)(2)(B) (stating the claim deadline is based on the deadline in the personal notice letter); 28 C.F.R. §8.10(a).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Spencer T. Habluetzel is an attorney at the Oklahoma City law firm of Hall & Ludlam PLLC. He practices compliance along

with general civil trial and appellate litigation, including in commercial, consumer, personal injury and business litigation. He can be contacted at spencer@okcfirm.com. ENDNOTES 1. Stefan D. Cassella, Asset Forfeiture Law in the United States §1-4, at 9 (2016); “Types of Federal Forfeiture,” justice.gov, available at www.justice.gov/afms/types-federal-forfeiture. 2. Heather J. Garretson, “Federal Criminal Forfeiture: A Royal Pain in the Assets,” 18 S. Cal. Rev. L. & Soc. Just. 45, 48 (2008).

MARCH 2023 | 29

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL