On January 7, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that two Miami condominiums with a combined value of approximately $1.8 million that were leased by Russian national Viktor Perevalov in violation of U.S. sanctions. The condominiums, which are located in Miami, Florida, were secured pursuant to a civil forfeiture complaint that sought the forfeiture of the properties in February 2024.
According to the complaint, Perevalov was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on January 26, 2018 pursuant to Executive Order 13685, for being one of two co-founders of a Russia-based construction company responsible for building a highway in the Russian-occupied region of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of Crimea. As a result of the designation, an OFAC license was required before anyone could transact with, or on behalf of, Perevalov in the United States. The DOJ reported that that an OFAC license was never issued to Perevalov or on his behalf; however, Perevalov reportedly “maintained, transferred, and leased” the two condominiums from approximately January 2018 through March 2023. In or around June 14, 2024, a Miami real estate agent also allegedly transferred both condominiums to a limited liability company to obfuscate Perevalov’s interest in the properties and enable the properties to generate proceeds for their maintenance, in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Incidentally, on December 18, 2024, Perevalov was re-designated by OFAC pursuant to EO 14024 for operating a company in the construction sector of the Russian economy – a company that is allegedly responsible for building infrastructure throughout Russia and highways in Russia-occupied Crimea.
DOJ Press Release | U.S. Department of Treasury Press Release