United States v. $1,106,775 in US Currency

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 22-16499

Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 3:20-cv-00158- v. MMD-CSD

$1,106,775.00 IN UNITED STATES

CURRENCY, OPINION

Defendant-Appellant,

and

OAK PORCELLI,

Claimant-Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada Miranda M. Du, Chief District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted May 14, 2024 San Francisco, California

Filed March 11, 2025 USA V. $1,106,775.00 IN US CURRENCY

Before: Kenneth K. Lee and Daniel A. Bress, Circuit Judges, and John R. Tunheim, * District Judge.

Opinion by Judge Lee; Dissent by Judge Bress

SUMMARY **

Civil Forfeiture

The panel affirmed the district court’s orders (1) striking Oak Porcelli’s claim opposing the United States government’s complaint for civil forfeiture against $1,106,775 in currency that Drug Enforcement Agency officers seized following Porcelli’s traffic stop; and (2) granting the government a default judgment of civil forfeiture against the currency. Porcelli challenged the…