Loumiet v. United States of America

District Court, District of Columbia·Decided June 16, 2023·No. Civil Action No. 2012-1130·Published

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

CARLOS LOUMIET, Plaintiff v. Civil Action No. 12-1130 (CKK) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Defendant.

APPENDIX TO MEMORANDUM OPINION (June 16, 2023)

The following numbered paragraphs are from Defendant’s Statement of Undisputed

Material Facts, ECF No. 109. In order to determine whether materials facts are genuinely in

dispute, the Court has noted which paragraphs are undisputed, which paragraphs are simply

claimed to be disputed, and which paragraphs are claimed to be supported by argument and/or

citation to the record. The Court’s notations and determinations are in bold below.

DEFENDANT’S STATEMENT OF UNDISPUTED MATERIAL FACTS

I. OCC Procedures for Initiating Formal Investigations and Enforcement Actions

1. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) supervises national banks to ensure that they comply with the law and operate in a safe and sound manner. Declaration of Ronald G. Schneck (“Schneck Decl.”), ¶ 1 (Exhibit 1); see also Declaration of C. Michael Rardin (“Rardin Decl.”), ¶ 2 (Exhibit 2).

Plaintiff Carlos Loumiet (“Loumiet”) Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

2. When conducting bank examinations, examination staff occasionally discover information indicating that the bank may have engaged in a violation of law, a breach of fiduciary duty, or an unsafe or unsound banking practice. Schneck Decl. ¶ 5; Declaration of Gerard Sexton (“Sexton Decl.”), ¶ 5 (Exhibit 3); Declaration of Kristin Merritt (“Merritt Decl.”), ¶ 3 (Exhibit 4).

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

1 3. The examination staff refers any such information to the OCC’s Enforcement and Compliance Division (“E&C”), which reviews the information and may request a formal Order of Investigation (“OOI”). Id.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

4. E&C is a division of the OCC’s Chief Counsel’s Office and is responsible for conducting investigations and litigating enforcement actions. Sexton Decl. ¶ 2; Merritt Decl. ¶ 2.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

5. An OOI authorizes a formal investigation into whether a bank or institution affiliated party (“IAP”) — for example, a bank’s officer, director, employee, or independent contractor — has engaged in misconduct. Schneck Decl. ¶ 6.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

6. To obtain an OOI, E&C enforcement attorneys prepare a detailed memorandum outlining the facts and legal basis for the proposed investigation, and, after approval by the E&C Director and an Assistant Director, the memorandum is presented to the OCC’s Washington Supervision Review Committee (“WSRC”). Sexton Decl. ¶¶ 5–6; Merritt Decl. ¶ 4.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

7. The WSRC is an advisory committee of eight senior OCC officials from a cross- section of disciplines within the agency that is responsible for ensuring that bank supervision and enforcement policies are applied consistently. Merritt Decl. ¶ 4; Sexton Decl. ¶ 4; Schneck Decl. ¶ 15.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

8. E&C attorneys present the proposed investigation at a WSRC meeting, and the WSRC then determines whether to recommend that the appropriate Senior Deputy Comptroller authorize an OOI. Sexton Decl. ¶ 6; Merritt Decl. ¶ 4.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

2 The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

9. If approved, the Senior Deputy Comptroller signs a formal OOI, which memorializes the matter under investigation and authorizes E&C attorneys to subpoena documents and obtain sworn testimony from relevant sources. Id.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

10. To obtain authorization to commence an administrative enforcement action against a bank or IAP, E&C attorneys follow essentially the same process just described for obtaining an OOI. Specifically, E&C attorneys prepare a detailed memorandum setting forth the facts and legal basis for the proposed enforcement action; the memorandum is reviewed by the E&C Director or an Assistant Director; if approved by those individua ls, E&C attorneys formally present the proposed action at a WSRC meeting; the WSRC determines whether to recommend the enforcement action; and the Senior Deputy Comptroller ultimately decides whether to accept the WSRC’s recommendation and authorize the action. Sexton Decl. ¶ 17; Merritt Decl. ¶ 11.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

II. The Adjusted Price Trades

11. Hamilton Bank, N.A. (“Hamilton”) was a national bank located in Miami, Florida before the OCC closed the bank in 2002 and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver. Schneck Decl. ¶ 7.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed; Loumiet asserts this paragraph is not material.

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

A. The Reserve Requirement

12. In 1998, the Russian economy was in a state of crisis, and Russian borrowers had a heightened chance of default on their debt obligations. Rardin Decl. ¶ 10; see also Ex. 3 (“FDIC Compl.”) to the Declaration of William Smith (“Smith Decl.”), ¶ 29 (Exhibit 5).

Loumiet Response: Undisputed; Loumiet asserts this paragraph is not material.

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

3 13. In 1998, the OCC directed Hamilton to establish a reserve equal to 25 percent of the value of its Russian loans (approximately $3,125,000) in order to reflect the risk of default. Rardin Decl. ¶ 10; FDIC Compl. ¶¶ 29–30, 246–247.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed; Loumiet asserts this paragraph is not material.

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

14. Instead of establishing the reserve, however, Hamilton’s management later told the OCC that it sold its Russian loans at par (full face value). Rardin Decl. ¶ 10; FDIC Compl. ¶¶ 32, 37.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

B. The OCC’s Discovery of the Swap Transactions

15. How Hamilton managed to sell its distressed Russian loans at par value when the Russian economy was in turmoil and the market value of Russian debt was substantially less than par was a key question for the OCC’s 1999 safety and soundness examination of Hamilton (“1999 Examination”). Rardin Decl. ¶ 10.

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

16. The examination team discovered documents and other information revealing that, at about the same time Hamilton sold its impaired Russian loans at par value, Hamilton purchased several debt securities at par value from the same counterparties, even though substantial market information showed that the securities were worth considerably less. Rardin Decl. ¶¶ 11-15; FDIC Compl. ¶¶ 42–45; Sexton Decl. ¶ 8; Merritt Decl. ¶ 6; Declaration of Lee Straus (“Straus Decl.”), ¶ 4 (Exhibit 6).

Loumiet Response: Undisputed

The Court’s Determination: The Court accepts this as admitted.

17. In total, Hamilton overpaid by $22.2 million for the debt securities it purchased from WMB and Standard Bank. Rardin Decl. ¶ 16; FDIC Compl.

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