Since last summer, as part of a continuing investigation of illegal online gambling (“The Ghost Hand,” Feature, March 24), federal investigators in Maryland have seized more than $5 million from U.S. bank accounts tied to payment processors that allegedly transact business on behalf of offshore companies’ gambling web sites.
Yesterday a civil forfeiture lawsuit filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Baltimore was docketed, moving the seizures into a new phase as the government seeks a judge’s approval of the government’s desire to take ownership of most of the seized funds.
The forfeiture action, which does not specify the amount of money at stake, goes after funds seized from bank accounts of four payment processors: Electracash, HMD, Forshay Enterprises, and Direct Channel.
Full story: Baltimore City Paper: The News Hole: Civil Forfeiture of Internet Gambling Funds Filed in Maryland