Federal authorities on Thursday moved to seize a wide array of U.S.-based properties, bank accounts and religious sites that they allege in court documents are funneling money to an Iranian bank involved in that country’s illicit nuclear weapons program.
Prosecutors sought the forfeiture of Islamic centers containing mosques and schools in California, Maryland, New York City and Houston, Texas, as well as 100 acres of land in Virginia.
They also took steps to seize financial control of a 36-story office tower at 650 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan that they say is part of a business empire controlled by the Alavi Foundation, which it alleges has been illegally “providing numerous services to the Iranian Government,” including a large amount of funds.
All told, the properties and bank accounts being sought by the federal government in a civil lawsuit are worth more than $500 million in assets, and represent one of the largest attempted seozires of alleged assets linked to Iran.