United States v. BNP Paribas S.A. (S.D.N.Y.)

Thank you for visiting the website relating to the criminal forfeiture secured by the United States Department of Justice, Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in the matter of United States v. BNP Paribas S.A. (the BNPP case).

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, signed by the President on December 18, 2015, contained provisions affecting the government’s use of the funds forfeited the BNPP case.

Congress specifically ordered that none of the funds from the BNPP case be used “in any manner in furtherance of the proposed use of such funds by the Department of Justice to compensate individuals as announced by the Department of Justice on May 1, 2015.”

This means that the government cannot act on any of the petitions filed or information and proposals submitted regarding the BNPP case.

Separately, the same law also established the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

This new fund may compensate eligible United States persons who hold federal court judgments against foreign states designated state sponsors of terrorism, as well as the Americans held hostage in the embassy in Iran from November 1979 to January 1981.

The Department is reviewing the legislation to determine how to implement this new fund, and does not have further information to provide at this time. This website will be updated after a Special Master is appointed to administer the fund, including establishing procedures for applications.