A Brooklyn man has pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding by selling a mansion and estate that the U.S. Attorney’s Office was seeking to forfeit as part of a criminal case against his brother.
According to court documents, Jacques Laventure, age 35, of Brooklyn, New York, sold the mansion and estate in Byram Township, New Jersey, to a third party in March 2021, despite knowing that the U.S. Attorney’s Office sought to forfeit it as part of a case against his brother, Jean Lavanture.
Jean Lavanture, of Saugerties, New York, was indicted in October 2020 for fraudulently obtaining nearly $5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) intended to help legitimate businesses during the pandemic.
Laventure admitted to scheming to sell the Byram Township property and completing the sale for $443,920 net of fees. He also admitted to knowing that by selling the property, he was preventing its forfeiture in the criminal case brought against his brother.
As part of his plea agreement, Laventure has agreed to forfeit $443,920 that the FBI has already seized, and to pay an additional $331,080 in restitution.
Laventure faces up to 20 years in prison and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release when Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby sentences him on August 25, 2022.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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