The Department of Justice has secured the forfeiture of two luxury condominiums in Miami, valued at approximately $1.8 million, due to violations of U.S. sanctions against Russian national Viktor Perevalov. This decision was confirmed through a court-ordered default judgment and final order of forfeiture issued on January 7, 2025.
The civil forfeiture complaint, initiated by the United States in February 2024, targeted properties connected to Perevalov and his associate Valeri Abramov. Both were co-founders of VAD, AO, a construction company involved in building the Tavrida Highway in Crimea following Russia's occupation. The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned them on January 26, 2018, under Executive Order 13685 for their roles related to the Russian invasion of Crimea.
Co-Director Michael Khoo of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture stated, “Today’s successful forfeiture once again demonstrates that the attempt to hide assets behind nominees and shell companies is a risky short-term game with real long-term costs.” He praised the prosecutors and agents for their work in enforcing U.S. sanctions programs.
According to allegations, from around January 2018 to March 2023, Perevalov's condominiums were maintained and leased in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). A Miami real estate agent transferred these properties into a limited liability company on June 14, 2018, obscuring Perevalov’s ownership while continuing to lease them out.
The FBI Miami Field Office led the investigation with support from Sunny Isles Beach Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster, Marx P. Calderón, Eli Rubin from Florida's Southern District; Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Lindsay Gorman from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; and Trial Attorney Joshua E. Kurland from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
This enforcement action was coordinated by Task Force KleptoCapture—an interagency group formed to uphold sanctions and economic measures against Russia following its military actions in Ukraine since 2014. Established on March 2, 2022, by Attorney General leadership under Deputy Attorney General oversight—the task force continues utilizing departmental resources against sanction evasion linked with Russian aggression.