People v. Abedi

156 Misc. 2d 904, 595 N.Y.S.2d 1011, 1993 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 70
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 5, 1993
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 156 Misc. 2d 904 (People v. Abedi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Abedi, 156 Misc. 2d 904, 595 N.Y.S.2d 1011, 1993 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 70 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

John A.K. Bradley, J.

The defendants have been indicted for the crimes of scheme to defraud in the first degree and conspiracy in the fifth degree. Clifford and Altman are also charged with commercial bribe receiving in the first degree. Altman has also been charged with the crimes of falsifying business records in the first degree and offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. Altman has brought an omnibus motion seeking many forms of relief. Clifford has joined in this motion insofar as it is applicable to him. The other defendants, residents of other countries, have not yet been arrested in connection with this indictment.

This indictment arises out of a lengthy investigation conducted by the Office of the District Attorney of New York County into the affairs of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). The investigation delved into the relationship between BCCI and Credit and Commerce American Holdings (CCAH), a bank holding company that held a New York bank, First American Bank of New York (FABNY), through a chain of holding companies. The investigation examined the manner in which First American Bankshares (one of the chain of holding companies) and FABNY were acquired from their previous owners, how they were managed, the representations made to bank regulators and reports filed with those regulators. Defendant Abedi was the founder and first chairman of BCCI. Defendant Naqvi was president, then chairman of BCCI. Defendants Clifford and Altman were officers and directors of CCAH and its various subsidiaries.

FEDERAL PREEMPTION

Defendant Altman is first claiming that seven of the counts against him are based on false statements or omissions in Federal Reserve forms Y-6 submitted on behalf of CCAH. Altman contends that the District Attorney is predicating this prosecution upon a failure to comply fully and honestly with Federal regulations and that he may not do so.

Altman asserts that the Federal Reserve Board has exclu[908]*908sive jurisdiction over its own regulations. He points out that the forms Y-6 are required by the Federal Reserve Board pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. (12 USC § 1841 et seq.) That act vests broad regulatory authority in the Board over bank holding companies. Citing Easton v Iowa (188 US 220 [1903]), a case said by the Appellate Division, First Department, to be the "seminal case on Federal preemption of the regulation of national banks” (People v Calandra, 164 AD2d 638, lv denied 77 NY2d 992), Altman asserts that New York may not predicate any criminal charge on what the District Attorney considers to be false answers to questions contained in a Federal form.

Defendant’s arguments have two flaws. The first is that the cases he relies on deal with national banks. Obviously, the Federal laws relating to national banks are more comprehensive than those relating to State banks. However, as the People point out CCAH is not a national bank, nor is First American Bank of New York, the bank CCAH controls in New York State.

The second flaw in Altman’s argument that this prosecution undermines the Federal regulatory scheme is that the Federal Reserve Board has actually taken a position in this case. Acting through the United States Attorney, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has requested leave to submit (and has actually submitted) a statement of interest in opposition to Altman’s omnibus motion. Altman has moved this court to strike the statement of interest. The court will allow the statement of interest to be considered. This statement not only refutes Altman’s claim that the District Attorney is usurping the jurisdiction of the United States but also "welcomes the vigorous prosecution by the District Attorney of Altman and Clifford for the submission to State regulators of false and misleading information.”

Altman cites Gade v National Solid Wastes Mgt. Assn. (505 US —, 112 S Ct 2374) in support of his claim that Federal law has preempted the field. Gade held that the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 USC § 651 et seq., 84 US Stat 1590) (OSHA) preempted State licensing acts to the extent they established occupational safety and health standards for training hazardous waste workers. Although Gade discusses preemption and finally holds a State statute to be preempted, it does not help the defendants in the instant case because of a significant difference in the preemption language [909]*909of OSHA and the language of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956.

OSHA provides that a State " 'shall’ ” submit a plan if it wishes to " 'assume responsibility’ ” for " 'development and enforcement * * * of occupational safety and health standards relating to any occupational safety or health issue with respect to which a Federal standard has been promulgated’ ” (Gade v National Solid Wastes Mgt. Assn., 505 US, at —, 112 S Ct, at 2383, supra). Gade held that: "[t]he unavoidable implication of this provision is that a State may not enforce its own occupational safety and health standards without obtaining the Secretary’s approval” (supra, 505 US, at —, 112 S Ct, at 2383).

The Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 USC § 1846) on the other hand states: "No provision of this [chapter] shall be construed as preventing any State from exercising such powers and jurisdiction which it now has or may hereafter have with respect to companies, banks, bank holding companies, and subsidiaries thereof.”

This different language calls for a different result. The Bank Holding Company Act does not preempt the provisions of the New York Penal Law involved here. (It may also be that a State criminal prosecution would survive a claim of preemption by OSHA; see, People v Pymm, 76 NY2d 511, cert denied 498 US 1085 [decided nearly two years before Gade v National Solid Wastes Mgt. Assn., supra].)

The statement of interest of the United States is entitled to great weight in determining whether a Federal statute has preempted the field. (Liang Ren-Guey v Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Games, 49 NY2d 771; Islamic Republic of Iran v Pahlavi, 116 Misc 2d 590, revd on other grounds 99 AD2d 1009, affd 64 NY2d 831.)

From the foregoing, it appears that the Federal Government has not preempted the field and that New York has jurisdiction to proceed in this matter.

SCHEME TO DEFRAUD

In the first count of the indictment, the defendants are charged with the crime of scheme to defraud in the first degree. The count reads, in part, as follows: "Defendants * * * in the County of New York and elsewhere, acting with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, during the period from on or about September 1, 1977, through on or about [910]*910August 18, 1991, with intent to defraud more than one person and to obtain property from more than one person, to wit, state and federal bank regulators and persons doing business with banks, by false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises, engaged in a scheme constituting a systematic ongoing course of conduct and so obtained property with a value in excess of one thousand dollars, to wit, approvals, charters and licenses from state and federal bank regulators to manage and control banks, banking institutions and bank holding companies and deposits and credit from persons doing business with such banks.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
156 Misc. 2d 904, 595 N.Y.S.2d 1011, 1993 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 70, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-abedi-nysupct-1993.