- A judge ruled that the FBI raid on US Private Vaults was not in violation of the 4th Amendment.
- Deposit-box owners whose property was taken in an FBI raid on March 20,21 and not returned to them have the right to sue the bureau.
- The class action was represented by a lawyer who said that the raid was the largest armed robbery in American history.
According to court documents shared by Insider, a judge ruled that federal agents raiding 1,400 safe deposit boxes at private vault companies did not violate search or seizure laws.
In August, a lawsuit was filed alleging that the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office of Los Angeles obtained warrants for US Private Vaults in Beverly Hills. The warrants were obtained by the FBI concealing important details from the judge who approved them.
District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled on September 29 that there was no improper way for the government to obtain or execute warrants for the March 2021 raid. Klausner agreed to dismiss a class-action suit on behalf of those whose boxes were taken..
After the raid, the vault company had to be shut down. Pledged guiltyTo conspire to launder drug money.
Insider was told by Laura Eimiller, spokesperson for the FBI: “Today’s District Court ruling clarifies that agents investigating criminal activity in US Private Vaults didn’t mislead a court and affirms FBI’s position, that the investigation was conducted with integrity and in compliance with the law, FBI policy and the US Constitution.
The The lawsuit was filedFBI agents raided a Beverly Hills branch, California, of US Private Vaults and seized $86 million in cash, gold, jewelry, and safe-deposit boxes. It claimed that owners’ items were not returned, and that agents deceived a judge to obtain the warrant.
After nearly five years of investigations, no one has been charged with any of the owners of the boxes. Court documents show that various agencies concluded that “the problem was the company itself.”
Eimiller stated that the agents had “outlined evidence of widespread criminal wrongdoing through court filings, while establishing an easy procedure to return protected contents to box holders who weren’t otherwise subject to asset forfeiture.”
Robert Frommer, a lawyer representing at most 400 plaintiffs in a class action suit, claimed that the government didn’t know what was in those boxes or who owned them. He also did not claim in an earlier filing, “that the government did no know what these people had done, or even what they knew.”
Frommer said, “The FBI’s scope is unimaginable.” “This was the most extensive armed robbery committed in the United States’ history and was done by the FBI.”
Insider received new emails from Frommer confirming that they will appeal the decision.
Frommer attorney Rob Johnson described the ruling as a “shocking” decision that “will set the precedent that will permit the FBI and other law enforcement agency to bypass the Fourth Amendment.” The decision will give a blueprint for the government to pry open safe deposit boxes, storage lockers, and other private spaces—and to take the contents with civil forfeiture.”
Johnson said, “There’s no doubt that we will appeal.”
Eimiller claimed that the FBI stands behind its ongoing investigation into US Private Vaults. The business criminally facilitated drug trafficking, money laundering, and allowed customers anonymously to store criminal proceeds in safe deposit box.
According to court papers US Private Vaults explicitly solicited criminal clientele via its website. The company claimed that it knew very little about its customers and the more the better. The company claimed that its services could help customers “avoid government agencies (such the IRS or attorneys armed by court orders.”
Documents also stated that US Private Vaults didn’t rent only to criminals, and that many customers used its services legitimately.
