Federal Government Moves to Permanently Seize 2.42 Million USDT in North Carolina Civil Forfeiture Case

On Thursday, May 7, 2026, the United States government filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina seeking to seize 2,421,304.76529 USDT permanently.

The action is brought under 18 U.S.C.S. § 981(a)(l)(C) for property constituting proceeds from unlawful activities, including wire fraud, and under 18 U.S.C.S. § 981(a)(l)(A) for property involved in money laundering transactions.

The defendant cryptocurrency was seized from an unhosted Tether wallet address on the Ethereum blockchain, following a federal seizure warrant executed on January 15, 2026. The seized cryptocurrency is currently held in a U.S. Treasury-controlled wallet.

The complaint references a declaration from U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Casey Blaser, which provides the factual basis supporting probable cause for the seizure and subsequent forfeiture.

The owners of the cryptocurrency wallet have been identified as potential claimants in the case.

The government is requesting the court to issue a warrant of arrest in rem for the cryptocurrency, provide notice to all parties to demonstrate why the forfeiture should not be decreed, and enter a judgment declaring the property forfeited to the United States, alongside other relief deemed appropriate.

Please contact BlockTribune for access to a copy of this filing.