United States v. Manuelian

298 F. Supp. 3d 255
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedFebruary 7, 2018
DocketCriminal Action No. 08–10291–NMG
StatusPublished

This text of 298 F. Supp. 3d 255 (United States v. Manuelian) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Manuelian, 298 F. Supp. 3d 255 (D.D.C. 2018).

Opinion

GORTON, J.

On September 30, 2008, defendant Gregory Manuelian ("defendant" or "Manuelian") was charged in a twelve-count indictment with wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and forgery of customs forms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 496. Defendant pled guilty in November, 2009, and in February, 2010, this Court entered a judgment against defendant, sentencing him to 24 months imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release.

*256Defendant was ordered to pay a $1,200 special assessment and $1,188,886.97 in criminal restitution to the victim of his crime, Analogic Corporation ("Analogic"). In June, 2010, this Court denied defendant's motion to modify his sentence in which he asked the Court to relieve him of his obligation to pay interest on the restitution.

In June, 2017, defendant filed a motion to clarify the restitution order and enjoin Analogic from foreclosing on his residence. Analogic responded with a letter filed in August, 2017 and the government filed its response in September, 2017. For the reasons that follow, the motion to clarify the restitution order will be allowed, with respect to defendant's request for clarification, but denied, with respect to his motion to enjoin Analogic from continuing its foreclosure proceeding.

I. Background and Procedural History

The restitution order in this case requires defendant to pay $1,188,886.97 to Analogic according to a court-ordered repayment schedule. In November, 2010, the government moved for enforcement against defendant's assets by applying for a writ of garnishment against his Individual Retirement Accounts ("IRA") held by garnishee, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA. The Court held a garnishment hearing in December, 2011 and entered a garnishee order in July, 2012. In addition, upon his release from imprisonment, defendant was ordered to pay restitution at a rate of 10% of his gross monthly income.

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3664(m)(1)(B), Analogic has registered this Court's judgment with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York ("the Eastern District"), commencing a separate civil action to enforce the restitution order entered against defendant. Defendant owns real property in that district and, as of the time of his motion, resides in the district. In March, 2014, the Eastern District granted Analogic's motion for summary judgment as to its claim that defendant had fraudulently conveyed an interest in real property ("the property") to himself and his wife as tenants by the entirety. That conveyance was set aside to the extent necessary to satisfy the restitution order.

In February, 2017, defendant moved in the Eastern District for a temporary restraining order to prevent the sale of the property contending that he did not receive notice of the sale. The Eastern District issued an order denying the motion for a temporary restraining order in which it stated that the payment schedule established by this Court did not

limit Analogic Corporation's right to use any and all lawful remedies to collect [the restitution amount].

Shortly thereafter, Analogic filed a notice that it had reached a stipulation postponing the execution sale of the property in contemplation of the funding of a settlement. In May, 2017, Analogic moved for an order authorizing the United States Marshal's Service to re-schedule the sale of the property because of defendant's failure to commit the funds promised under parties' agreement.

II. Motion for Clarification of Restitution Order and to Enjoin Analogic from Selling the Property

In his motion, styled as a motion for clarification of the restitution order, defendant seeks to (1) establish that the interest rate on the restitution be set at the standard federal rate at the time of the judgment, 0.36% and (2) enjoin Analogic from the sale of defendant's property.

In response to defendant's motion, the government states that, as to the United States, the applicable interest rate for the restitution order is 0.36%. The government *257further contends that it takes no position as to whether the same interest rate applies when a victim commences a separate civil action against a defendant under the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act of 1996 ("MVRA").

Restitution is a mechanism for making a victim whole by "restoring the monetary equivalent of losses suffered in consequence of the defendant's criminal activity". United States v. Salas-Fernandez, 620 F.3d 45, 48 (1st Cir. 2010). Pursuant to the MVRA, district courts have the discretion to order restitution "in addition to or in lieu of, any other penalty authorized by law" to the victim of defendant's criminal activity. 18 U.S.C. § 3663A(a)(1). Under that statute, a victim named in a restitution order can register a judgment in another jurisdiction and

the abstract of judgment shall be a lien on the property of the defendant located in such State in the same manner and to the same extent and under the same conditions as a judgment of a court of general jurisdiction in that State.

18 U.S.C. § 3664(m)(1)(B). The MVRA establishes that interest on any fine or restitution of more than $2,500 is computed at a rate equal to the rate of 52-week Treasury bills for the week preceding the first day on which the defendant is liable for interest. 18 U.S.C. § 3612(f)(1-2).

As this Court stated in its December, 2016 order granting the motion for writ of garnishment and as the government acknowledges, the applicable post-judgment interest rate on the Court's restitution order is 0.36% per annum. The circumstances surrounding the dispute over the interest rate are unclear from defendant's motion. In his motion, defendant states that

Analogic has apparently taken the position with the courts of New York that the interest is accruing at the New York state rate of 9%.

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Related

Schultz v. United States
594 F.3d 1120 (Ninth Circuit, 2010)
United States v. Salas-Fernandez
620 F.3d 45 (First Circuit, 2010)
United States v. Dubose
146 F.3d 1141 (Ninth Circuit, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
298 F. Supp. 3d 255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-manuelian-dcd-2018.