For Immediate Release

Austin, TX – Like the Franck Mueller 10-carat men’s diamond watch valued at $30K, all of the items to be previewed for the media by the U.S. Marshals at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning are eye-popping. The assets will be sold at public auction in Austin on Saturday – and many could go for bargain prices. But, like a 4.5 carat diamond and platinum ring (worth over $22,000), the histories behind these assets are often quite colorful.

All these items are the ill-gotten gains of felons and corporate bad guys. They have been maintained and are being sold by the U.S. Marshals’ Asset Forfeiture Division. And some, such as a massive, 25-inch long gold necklace with a diamond encrusted pendant spelling out “PAID IN FULL,” display possible links to the criminal underworld. “Drug dealers have their own grim reaper-styled patron saint,” says auctioneer Bob Sheehan, “and they’re fond of forging that image in weighty gold and multi-carat diamonds. A couple of pieces like that will be sold on Saturday.” Sheehan’s auctioneering firm has been contracted to provide services to the U.S. Marshals.

“One of the most remarkable items in Saturday’s auction is a lady’s 8.45 carat diamond ring,” says Jennifer Crane, from the U.S. Marshals Asset Forfeiture Division in Washington, DC. “It’s valued at $34,000.” Crane will conduct the media preview on Friday. “Proceeds from the sales are often shared with state and local law enforcement agencies that participated in the investigations, and with victims of the crimes,” says Crane.

The Asset Forfeiture Program’s goals are: stripping criminals of their ill-gotten gains, improving law enforcement cooperation, and enhancing law enforcement through equitable revenue sharing. The Program is a law enforcement success story, and the U.S. Marshals play a vital role in the initiative.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Reporters interested in the media preview must meet at the Hilton Convention Center Hotel, 500 East 4th Street, 4th Floor, in Austin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 31. Media with camera equipment should be at the Center no later than 9:45. For more information, contact one of the following: Ms. Crane (202) 246-8114; Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers, Inc. (512) 251-2780, or Deputy Marshal Hector Gomez (512) 461-7326.

The media walk-through with Ms. Crane will be conducted prior to the open public preview. She will be available for questions after the briefing. Special camera access to the above mentioned items and several more sales lots will be provided during the 30-minute tour. Auction day will be Saturday, August 1, 10:00 a.m. Sales will be continuous until all items have been offered.

 

“Paid In Full” necklace forfeited in a criminal case. To be sold at the U.S. Marshals auction on Saturday	10 carat Franck Mueller watch valued at $30,000
4.5 carat diamond and platinum ring	8.45 carat diamond ring to be sold by U.S. Marshals at public auction in Austin, Texas

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

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America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency