H v United States of America

Ben Cooper (instructed by Guney, Clark and Ryan) for the Claimant Peter Caldwell (instructed by CPS ) for the Defendant Hearing dates: 11th December 2014; 26th February 2015; 24th March 2015. ____________________

i) From December 2004 to November 2009, H and W and others ran a drug distribution operation through a purported laboratory named Axio Laboratories ("Axio"), which illegally imported drugs into the US from Moldova and other countries. The proceeds from this operation were deposited in various bank accounts and thereafter wired to other accounts to avoid detection.

ii) W ordered the illegal drugs from manufacturers outside the US, directed where the drugs were to be shipped within the US, and directed employees to package and label the drugs so that they appeared to be from a legitimate laboratory, i.e., Axio.

iii) During a period of time when W was in prison in Ireland, H took over W's responsibilities of running the operation. Specifically, H authorised salary payments to employees in the US who were packaging and re-shipping the illegal drugs out of a 'stash house' in New Jersey.

v) The gross receipts generated as a result of the drug trafficking is said to total US$8,600,000.