FOR SALE

Approximately 4,041.58424932 bitcoin

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM THIS SEALED BID AUCTION.

This sealed bid auction is for 4,041.58424932 Bitcoin (structure details below). The required deposit to participate in this auction is $200,000.00 USD.

These Bitcoin were forfeited in various federal criminal, civil and administrative cases, including:

United States v. Tyler Lee Ward et al., (Case No. 18-cr-438)
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 1.3766326 Bitcoin
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 4.94507746 Bitcoin
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 7.13218 Bitcoin
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 1.49273858 Bitcoin
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 14.95978524 Bitcoin
United States v. Ryan Farace (Case No. 18-cr-00018)
United States v. Matthew Lee Yensan (Case No. 17-cr-00303)
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 1.65659480 Bitcoin
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 0.66224525 Bitcoin
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 14.59638483 Bitcoin
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 0.24130732 Bitcoin
DEA Administrative Forfeiture of 104.34765685 Bitcoin
United States v. Alexandre Cazes, et al., (Case No. 17-cv-00967)
FBI Administrative Forfeiture of 3.33369 Bitcoin
United States v. Ronald L. Wheeler, III (Case No. 17-cr-377)
United States v. Konrads Voits (Case No. 17-cr-20689)
FBI Administrative Forfeiture of 535 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 0.82609561 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 8.91 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of Jaxx Wallet BTC (approximately 0.232 btc)
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 0.27698615 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of BITCOINS (approximately 3.544 btc)
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 26.3765293 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 17.49013698 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 1.75799537 Bitcoin and 3.63951363 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 22.89799376 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 2.02903322 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 24.21055495 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 23.7981166 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of Bitcoin (approximately 0.758 btc)
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 5.57 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of Bitcoin (approximately 2.147 btc)
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 3.047 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 1.50467582 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of .474648 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of .495109 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 1.86375 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 18.58166338 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 0.52691763 Bitcoin
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 35.25012887 Bitcoin
United States v. Seth Bangert (Case No. 19-mj-00073)
HSI-USCBP Administrative Forfeiture of 0.479 Bitcoin
United States v. Donte L. Gibson, et al. (Case No. 18-cr-094)
United States v. Gal Vallerius (Case No. 17-cr-20648)
IRS Administrative Forfeiture of 8.9 Bitcoin
United States v. Darcy Wedd (15-cr-00616)
United States v. Sky Justin Gornik (17-cr-2796)
USPIS Administrative Forfeiture of 0.03773082 Bitcoin
USPIS Administrative Forfeiture of 9.7081 Bitcoin
USPIS Administrative Forfeiture of .1366 Bitcoin
USPIS Administrative Forfeiture of 4.667127 Bitcoin
USPIS Administrative Forfeiture of 6.820611 Bitcoin
USPIS Administrative Forfeiture of 4.8836697 Bitcoin
United States v. 1.60005061 Bitcoin and 0.34017587 Bitcoin (Case No. 19-cv-959)
United States v. Matthew Mulford (Case No. 19-cr-028)

This sealed bid auction for 4,041.58424932 Bitcoin separated into four series: Series A (5 blocks of 500 Bitcoin) and Series B (10 blocks of 100 Bitcoin) and Series C (10 blocks of 50 Bitcoin) and Series D (1 block of 41.58424932 Bitcoin). You will not have the opportunity to view other bids. You will not have the opportunity to change your bid once submitted.

Phase I: Bidder Registration
Opens: 8:00 AM EST, Monday, February 3, 2020
Deadline: Noon EST, Wednesday, February 12, 2020

All interested parties must first register with the USMS. You are not eligible to submit a bid or otherwise participate in this auction unless you have submitted all required documents and have received confirmation from the USMS that you are an eligible bidder. Any registration documents received after the deadline will not be considered. Registration documents that were submitted in prior USMS auctions are not valid for this auction – you must submit new registration documents to be considered for this auction.

Required Registration Items:

• A manually signed pdf copy of the Bidder Registration Form

• A copy of a Government-issued photo ID for the Bidder (or Control Person(s) of Bidder)

• Deposit in US Dollars sent by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) originating from a bank located within the United States

• A copy of the EFT transmittal receipt

You must deliver the Required Registration Items by email to USMSCryptocurrency@usdoj.gov. The USMS will notify all bidders about their eligibility to participate in the auction by email no later than 5:00 PM EST on Thursday, February 13, 2020. If the USMS determines that you are not an eligible bidder, the deposit funds will be returned, and you will not be eligible to participate in the online auction.

The deposit of the winning bidder will be retained by USMS and credited towards the purchase price. If the winning bidder fails to close on the transaction through no fault of the USMS, the winning bidder will irrevocably forfeit the deposit to the USMS. The deposit of any bidder whose bid is not selected as a winning bid will be returned to the original account from which the deposit was received. We will begin processing return of deposits immediately following the close of the bitcoin transaction(s). We hope to process all returns within five (5) business days, but high participation may result in slightly longer return times.

Bidder Registration Form:

Bidders must register to participate in this auction. One registration form allows you to bid on multiple blocks from Series A, Series B, Series C and Series D at the same per bitcoin price, but does not allow you to submit multiple bids at varying per-bitcoin prices. If you wish to have the ability to bid multiple prices on multiple blocks, you will need to submit additional registration forms and additional deposit funds. The following examples are provided for your convenience:

Example 1: Bidder wants to purchase two (2) blocks of Series A for the same per-bitcoin price (e.g. $X per bitcoin for 1,000 Series A Bitcoin). Bidder should submit ONE registration form with a $200,000 deposit, and will use ONE Bid Form to bid on both blocks of Series A.

Example 2: Bidder wants to purchase two (2) blocks of Series A and one (1) block of Series B for the same per-Bitcoin price (e.g. $X per Bitcoin for 1,000 Series A Bitcoin, and $X per Bitcoin for 500 Series B Bitcoin). Bidder should submit ONE registration form with a $200,000 deposit, and will use ONE Bid Form to bid on all three blocks at the same per-Bitcoin price (for both Series A and Series B).

Example 3: Bidder wants to purchase two (2) blocks of Series A and one (1) block of Series B at different prices (e.g. $X per Bitcoin for 500 Bitcoin from Series A, $Y per Bitcoin for 500 Bitcoin from Series A, and $Z per Bitcoin for 100 Bitcoin from Series B). Bidder should submit THREE separate registration forms, and a total deposit of $600,000 (or $200,000 for each registration), and will use THREE Bid Forms, one for each separate per-Bitcoin bid price. Note that each registration allows the bidder to submit the same per-Bitcoin price bid for Series A and Series B.

Bid Deposit:

Please follow the EFT instructions below to submit a bid to the USMS.

The USMS accepts EFTs via Automated Clearing House (ACH) Credit or Fedwire. Please contact your financial institution to determine which method is most appropriate.

ACH Credit Instructions 

*ACH debits are not permitted to this ABA routing number. All debits received will be automatically returned.

Fedwire Instructions

Phase II: Online Auction Period
Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2020, from 8:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST

Only eligible registered bidders who have received an official Bid Form from the USMS may participate in the online auction.

In order for your bid to be considered by the USMS, you must send via email to USMSCryptocurrency@usdoj.gov a signed pdf copy of the Bid Form within the online auction period window, which extends from 8:00 AM EST until 2:00 PM EST on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. Bids received before or after the online auction period will not be considered. Bids that do not conform to the instructions will not be considered.

The prevailing bids will be determined by the following criteria:

1. The eligible bidder who offers the highest price will be the prevailing bidder;

2. If there are multiple bids at the highest price, the first bid received will prevail; and

3. If a winning bidder defaults, the next highest bidder will be declared the winning bidder.

Bids are considered open until the USMS has declared that the bid is not a winning bid.

Phase III: Award and Sale Close

The USMS will endeavor to notify the winning bidder(s) by 5:00 PM EST on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, however the number of bids received and the complexity of the review process may require additional review time. The USMS will notify the winning bidder(s) via email with instructions for the next step to complete their transaction the same day as the auction, even after 5:00 PM EST. The winning bidder must send the purchase price funds (less the deposit amount) by a wire transfer originating from a bank located within the United States and provide a wire transmittal receipt to the USMS by 2:00 PM EST, on Wednesday, February 19, 2020. It is the responsibility of the winning bidder to understand their bank’s deadline for initiating wire transfers in order to ensure that the domestic wire transfer is initiated and a wire transmittal receipt provided to the USMS by the deadline. Failure to provide the USMS with a copy of the wire transmittal receipt by the deadline will result in disqualification, forfeiture of the deposit, and award to another bidder.

No Bitcoin transfer will be made until the USMS has confirmed receipt of all purchase funds. The Bitcoin transfer process will begin immediately following receipt of purchase funds, or at a time chosen by the winning bidder(s). The winning bidder will be given private instructions related to the transferring of the Bitcoin.

The USMS will notify Bidders that did not win via email by 10:00 AM EST, on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, however depending on the length of the post-auction review process emails to unsuccessful bidders may not go out the day of the auction. Please refrain from emailing the USMS after the auction has closed as this will only slow down the post-auction review process.

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TERMS OF SALE

• Payment. The bid must be an all cash offer. Bids that are contingent on financing terms of any kind will not be considered. All bids must be made in U.S. dollars.

• Receipt of Funds. The winning bidder should be prepared to wire purchase funds to the USMS by 2:00 PM EST on Wednesday, February 19, 2020. If the winning bidder does not provide the USMS with a copy of the wire transmittal receipt by this date and time, the bidder will be disqualified and another winning bidder will be selected. FAILURE TO INITIATE A WIRE TRANSFER AND PROVIDE THE USMS WITH A COPY OF THE WIRE TRANSMITTAL RECEIPT BY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020, AT 2:00 PM EST WILL RESULT IN FORFEITURE OF THE BIDDER’S DEPOSIT. The winning bidder is responsible for any wire transfer fees associated with his or her payment..

• Bitcoin Transfer. The USMS will not transfer any bitcoins until it has confirmed receipt of purchase funds from the buyer. The USMS will not transfer bitcoins to an obscene public address, a public address apparently in a country restricted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a public address apparently associated with terrorism, other criminal activities, or otherwise hostile to the United States.

• Transfer Fees. Any transfer fees associated with the transfer of the bitcoins will be paid by the buyer. The buyer will be given an opportunity to select the amount of fees charged in the transfer.

• Block Transactions. The USMS will only sell and transfer the bitcoins in a single block to a single bitcoin address.

• Bidder Qualification. The USMS reserves the right to reject any bid for any reason whatsoever. The USMS reserves the right to sell all, some or none of the bitcoins at auction.

• Bill of Sale. The winning bidder will receive a signed Bill of Sale from the United States Marshals Service.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The USMS does not make any representations or warranties regarding Bitcoin.

• Questions related to the auction process should be directed to USMSCryptocurrency@usdoj.gov. The USMS in its discretion will respond directly to email communications or will post additional items to the “Frequently Asked Questions” section below. The USMS will not respond to any telephone inquiries from the general public. The USMS will not answer any questions regarding (a) the associated criminal or civil cases that resulted in the seizure of the bitcoins being auctioned, or (b) Bitcoin characteristics, uses or value.

• The USMS will not sell to any person in violation of USMS Policy 13.7, Persons Prohibited from Purchasing Forfeited Property.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• How did the USMS get the authority to sell these bitcoins?

The USMS authority to dispose of forfeited property can be found at 28 C.F.R. 0.111(i).

• Can a foreign citizen participate in the auction?

Yes. However, bids will not be accepted from any person or entity that appears on the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control list of “Specially Designated Nationals.”

All deposit and purchase funds must be received from a U.S. bank. No exceptions.

• Can I form a syndicate of buyers to participate in the auction?

Yes. The person or entity that registers to bid on this auction must satisfy all registration requirements, including certifying that the bidder is not acting in concert with the defendants or defendant entities (See USMS Policy 13.7, Persons Prohibited from Purchasing Forfeited Property). This certification extends and applies to all members of a syndicate. The primary bidder should perform whatever due diligence the bidder feels is necessary in order to comfortably make that certification.

•  How much money do I need to make a bid?

You are responsible for ensuring that you have enough available funds to cover your bid. If you are selected as a winning bidder, you must initiate a wire transfer and provide the USMS with a copy of the wire transmittal receipt by Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 2:00 PM EST. Failure to initiate a wire deposit in the full amount of your bid, less the initial deposit, will result in forfeiture of your deposit.

•  Is there a reserve price for this auction?

There is no disclosed reserve price for this auction. The United States Marshals Service reserves the right to sell some, all or none of the bitcoins for any reason.

•  What information about the auction process or results will the USMS release?

The USMS will contact the winning and losing bidders directly. The USMS will not proactively release any information to the general public pertaining to the auction process or results, except for the number of registered bidders and the number of bids received.

• How will my deposit be returned if I am not a winning bidder?

The USMS will initiate the return of losing bid deposits within (5) business days following the transfer of bitcoins to the winning bidder.

Losing bid deposits will be first returned (i.e., refunded) to the financial institution and account from which they originated.

If the USMS encounters difficulty (e.g., the wire cannot be rejected) then you will be required to complete and submit a Vendor Request Form. The Vendor Request Form will give you the option to receive your return (i.e., payment) electronically or by check.

Payments will be initiated within five (5) business days following the submission of a completed Vendor Request Form. Payments to a foreign financial institution (i.e., an overseas account) will require additional time to process and confirm.

Please note, all payments are subject to the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, 31 United States Code § 3716, requires the Department of the Treasury and other disbursing officials to offset Federal payments to collect delinquent debts owed to the United States, or delinquent debts owed to states, including past-due child support. For more information on TOP, please visit Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service website at Debt Collection - TOP.