Yordanov v. Milusnic

250 F. Supp. 3d 540, 2017 WL 1405154, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59943
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedApril 18, 2017
DocketCase No. CV17-2034-CAS
StatusPublished

This text of 250 F. Supp. 3d 540 (Yordanov v. Milusnic) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yordanov v. Milusnic, 250 F. Supp. 3d 540, 2017 WL 1405154, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59943 (C.D. Cal. 2017).

Opinion

ORDER

CHRISTINA A. SNYDER, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

On January 18, 2017, Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick entered an order certifying that Petitioner Lyubomir Mihailov Yordanov could be extradited to Bulgaria to face trial on charges of deceit. Case No. 2:16-cv-00170-CAS-E (Doc. 54) (hereinafter, “Extradition Order”). On March 14, 2017, Yordanov filed a petition for habeas relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. Doc. 1. The next day, he filed an ex parte application to stay extradition proceedings pending resolution of the habeas petition, and a memorandum in support of the habeas petition. Docs. 3, 4. The Court granted Yor-danov’s petition to stay. Doc. 8. The government filed an opposition to Yordanov’s habeas petition (Doc. 6); Yordanov elected not to reply. For the reasons that follow, the Court denies the habeas petition and vacates the stay.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Governing Law

Upon the filing of a sworn complaint by a U.S. attorney, a magistrate judge may hold an extradition hearing with respect to any person within his jurisdiction who is charged by a foreign government of having committed a crime that is extraditable under a treaty or convention. 18 U.S.C. § 3184; see Santos v. Thomas, 830 F.3d 987, 991 (9th Cir. 2016). Such a hearing is akin to a grand jury investigation; its purpose is not to deter[543]*543mine guilt, but merely to determine “whether there is evidence sufficient to sustain the charge under the provisions of the proper treaty or convention, or, in other words, whether there is probable cause.” Santos, 830 F.3d at 991 (quoting Vo v. Benov, 447 F.3d 1235, 1237 (9th Cir. 2006)). “Given the limited nature of extradition proceedings, neither the Federal Rules of Evidence nor the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure apply.” Id. at 992. Rather, documents “shall be received and admitted as evidence” if they are “properly and legally authenticated so as to entitle them to be received for similar purposes by the tribunals of the foreign country from which the accused' party shall have escaped.” 18 U.S.C. § 3190. The fugitive generally is not permitted to present evidence, unless such evidence “ ‘explains away or completely obliterates probable cause.’ ” Santos, 830 F.3d at 992 (citation omitted). If, after considering the evidence presented, the magistrate judge finds probable, cause to extradite, he must issue a certification of extraditability. 18 U.S.C. § 3184.

The relevant treaty in this case is the Extradition Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, Case No. 2:16-cv-00170-CAS-E (Doc. 10 at 26-46) (“Extradition Treaty”). It provides generally for the extradition of an individual charged with an offense that is “punishable under the laws in both States by deprivation of liberty for a maximum period of more than one year or by a more severe penalty.” Id. at Art. 2(2).

B. Extradition Proceedings

Yordanov, an individual residing in the United States, faces charges of criminal deceit in the town of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Case No. 2:16-cv-00170-CAS-E (Doc. 10-1 at 6). Bulgaria has requested that the U.S. Government extradite Yordanov pursuant to the Extradition Treaty between the two countries. On December 15, 2015, the Government filed a- sealed “Complaint for Arrest Warrant and Extradition” against Yordanov. Yordanov was arrested three days later. On January 8, 2016, the United States filed a complaint seeking Yordanov’s extradition on behalf of the Government of Bulgaria. Yordanov opposed and filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. On November 10, 2016, Judge Eick held a hearing. On January 18, 2017, Judge Eick denied the motion to dismiss and certified that Yordanov was subject to extradition.

C. Evidence

In the extradition proceeding, Bulgaria offered the following evidence: a criminal information prepared by S. Pencheva, Public Prosecutor for the City of Plovid; a witness statement of the victim, Yordanov Vasilev Angelov; and two witness statements of Angelov’s associate, Atañas Iva-nov Bubarov. Yordanov offered his own evidence.

1. Pencheva Statement

The criminal information prepared by Pencheva contains the following allegations:

• Angelov was the owner and manager of “SMM” PLCC, a company that imported and sold cars in Bulgaria.
• Angelov met Yordanov in February 2008. Yordanov represented that he was in the business of importing cars to Bulgaria from the United States, and expressed a desire to go into business with Angelov. The two men entered an oral agreement to-collaborate on this project.
• Initially, Yordanov performed his obligations under the oral agreement. Yordanov would send invoices to An-gelov describing a vehicle, Angelov would transfer the purchase price to Yordanov in the United States, and [544]*544Yordanov would ship the purchased vehicle by container to Bulgaria.
• In May 2008,' Yordanov decided “that he [was] going to send to the witness Angelov data about vehicles, which actually he was not going to buy, thus motivating the witness to transfer money for the purchase.” Yordanov’s intent was to use the transferred money “for his own necessities.”
• Between May 2008 and August 29, 2008, Yordanov sent Angelov invoices for nine vehicles that he intended to purchase for sale to Ange-lov. During this same time period, Angelov transferred $870,439.43 to Yordanov’s bank to cover the purchase price and Yordanov’s commission.
• When the vehicles did not arrive in Bulgaria, Angelov repeatedly called Yordanov to inquire as to why the deliveries were late. Yordanov attempted to explain away the delay, and later sent Angelov container numbers in which the vehicles were allegedly going to ship. Angelov determined that the container numbers existed but that the containers were not going to ship. Angelov made further attempts to call Yordanov but .Yordanov either refused to answer or offered an excuse and quickly ended the conversation.
• Angelov then flew to- the United States, accompanied by Atañas Iva-nov Bubarov—Angelov’s best man and the godfather of his children—to determine why the delivery had been delayed. Yordanov assured Angelov that the vehicles were set to sail from New York at any moment.
• Angelov and Bubarov returned to Bulgaria to await the shipment. They soon discovered that the vehicles had not- shipped and that Yordanov had never purchased them at all.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
250 F. Supp. 3d 540, 2017 WL 1405154, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59943, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yordanov-v-milusnic-cacd-2017.