Financial Crime World

Ex-Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s $3.5 Million Potomac Mansion Seized over Alleged Corruption Proceeds

The United States Department of Justice files a civil forfeiture complaint to seize a luxurious mansion in Potomac, MD, linked to ex-President Yahya Jammeh and his wife, Zineb Jammeh.

Table of Contents

  1. Seizure of the Luxury Mansion in Potomac, MD
  2. Background: Alleged Corruption by Yahya Jammeh
  3. Investigation and Assistance
  4. Government Responses
  5. The Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative
  6. Legal Information

Seizure of the Luxury Mansion in Potomac, MD

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken legal action to seize a $3.5 million mansion located in Potomac, Maryland, alleged to have been acquired through proceeds of corruption by the former President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, and his wife, Zineb Jammeh.

Background: Alleged Corruption by Yahya Jammeh

  • Ex-President Yahya Jammeh and his wife, Zineb Jammeh, are linked to the lavish mansion in Potomac, MD
  • Civil complaint accuses ex-President Jammeh of embezzling public funds and soliciting bribes
  • Millions of dollars obtained were allegedly laundered through shell companies and trusts

Investigation and Assistance

  • The Department of Justice, under the guidance of HSI (Homeland Security Investigations)
  • HSI’s Illicit Proceeds and Foreign Corruption Group
  • Assistance from HSI’s Baltimore office and the HSI Attaché Office in Dakar
  • Total seized ill-gotten gains exceed $500 million since the inception of the group in 2003

Government Responses

  • Acting Assistant Attorney General, Brian C. Rabbitt
    • “Yahya Jammeh is a former president of The Gambia who allegedly plundered hundreds of millions of dollars from his country and laundered part of those funds to corruptly acquire real estate in the United States.”
  • United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Robert K. Hur
    • “The seizure of this property in Potomac is a clear message to criminals that they cannot hid their ill-gotten gains behind American borders.”
  • Alysa Erichs, Acting Executive Associate Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
    • “HSI’s Illicit Proceeds and Foreign Corruption Group was established in 2003 to prevent foreign-derived, ill-gotten gains from entering the U.S. financial infrastructure.”

The Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative

A departmental initiative dedicated to forfeiting the proceeds of foreign official corruption and using them to benefit the affected people.

This article does not constitute legal advice nor imply a professional relationship. It is recommended seeking legal counsel for your specific situation.

Note: A civil forfeiture complaint is a mere allegation of money or property being involved in or representing the proceeds of a crime and is not proven in court until judgment is awarded in favor of the United States.

The Department of Justice marks its 150th anniversary this year. Learn more about its history at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.