The U.S. government is set to seize a Manhattan skyscraper that prosecutors say is secretly owned and controlled by the Iranian government.
The 36-story tower is located on Fifth Avenue in the heart of New York City, adjacent to Rockefeller Center, and is home to a number of corporate tenants. Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said Tuesday that the seizure and sale of the property would be the government's largest-ever terrorism-related forfeiture.
A federal judge authorized the seizure in a ruling this week, finding that the building's owners had violated federal money laundering laws and sanctions against Iran.
The building was constructed in the 1970's by a non-profit organization operated by the Shah of Iran, who was overthrown at the end of that decade. Today, the property is 60% owned by that organization, now called the Alavi Foundation, and 40% owned by Assa Corporation. . .
http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/17/news/economy/iran-building/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 (http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/17/news/economy/iran-building/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)
And it would appear that the two companies that own this building (Both Iranian) have been funneling funds back to the Iranian Govt. . .
I haven't read that article yet because I'm currently relegated to the iPhone since my MacBook is under the weather. After a cursory glance of that summary however, one has to wonder why a non-profit that was/is affiliated with the Shah would be funneling money to the current government.