Martin v. Leonhart ( 2010 )


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  •                     UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
    FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
    )
    RANDY D. MARTIN,                 )
    TIANA DUPREE,                    )
    )
    Plaintiffs,       )
    ) Civil Action No. 09-1747(EGS)
    v.                )
    )
    MICHELE LEONHART,                )
    Acting Administrator,            )
    Drug Enforcement Agency,         )
    in her official capacity,        )
    of Homeland Security,            )
    )
    Defendant.        )
    )
    MEMORANDUM OPINION
    This action involves plaintiffs’ request for the return of
    $19,800 in U.S. Currency (the “funds”) seized by agents of the
    Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) from Plaintiff Tiana Dupree
    (“Dupree”) in Washington, D.C. during a random drug search of an
    overnight Amtrak train traveling from Miami, Florida to New York,
    New York on August 8, 2008.   Pending before the Court is
    defendant’s motion to dismiss.   Upon consideration of the motion,
    the response and reply thereto, the applicable law, and for the
    reasons stated below, the Court concludes that it lacks subject
    matter jurisdiction over this action.   Accordingly, the Court
    GRANTS defendant’s motion to dismiss.
    I.   BACKGROUND
    A.      Initial Seizure of the Funds by the DEA
    On or about August 1, 2008, Plaintiff Randy Martin
    (“Martin”) - a New York resident - allegedly went to Florida on
    vacation and to look at a car that he was interested in buying
    for his girlfriend, Dupree.     Compl. ¶ 10.   Martin brought
    approximately $20,000 in U.S. Currency to Florida in order to
    purchase the car.    Compl. ¶ 11.   On or about August 8, 2008,
    after deciding not to buy the car, Martin asked Dupree - who was
    returning to New York – “to bring the money . . . back home to
    his safe because he was going to stay in Florida for a few more
    days and he wanted the money secured in his safe while he was on
    vacation.”    Compl. ¶¶ 15, 17.   After boarding an Amtrak train
    headed for New York, Dupree took the money from Martin and
    “placed it in her eyeglass case for safekeeping.”      Compl. ¶ 18.
    On or about August 8, 2008, Dupree was awakened by a knock
    on the door of her sleeper car by DEA agents conducting a random
    drug search on the train.    Compl. ¶ 21.   After inspecting
    Dupree’s ticket, the DEA agents searched Dupree’s room.     Compl.
    ¶¶ 22, 23.    During the course of this search, the DEA Agents
    “dumped out the contents of Ms. Dupree’s purse, opened her
    eyeglass case, and removed the $19,800 in U.S. currency which was
    in the case.”    Compl. ¶ 24.   After being confronted about the
    money, Dupree indicated that it belonged to her boyfriend -
    2
    Martin.    Compl. ¶ 26.   One of the DEA agents then called Martin,
    who confirmed that the money belonged to him.          See Compl. ¶¶ 27-
    32.   After ending the phone call with Martin, the DEA Agent
    purportedly remarked to another DEA agent: “He’s Jamaican.”
    Compl. ¶ 33.   The DEA Agent then seized the $19,800 from Dupree’s
    eyeglass case, gave Dupree a receipt for the money, apologized
    for the inconvenience, and told Dupree to call a number on a
    business card he handed her to get the money back.         Compl. ¶ 34.
    No arrest was made, nor were any drugs found in connection with
    the search of Dupree.     Compl. ¶¶ 7-8.   After Martin called the
    telephone number that the DEA agents had provided, he was
    informed that he would receive information in the mail regarding
    the seized funds.   Compl. ¶ 37.
    B.    Plaintiffs’ Request for Return of the $19,800
    On September 30, 2008, the DEA mailed a Notice of Seizure
    (the “Notice”) to Martin and Dupree, as well as their attorney.
    See Compl. ¶ 39; see also Def.’s Ex. 1-4, Notices of Seizure.
    The Notice lists the seized property as “$19,800 U.S. Currency”
    and the owner as “Tania Dupree.”       Def.’s Ex. 1.    The Notice
    further states, in relevant part:
    The above-described property was seized by the [DEA]
    for forfeiture pursuant to [
    21 U.S.C. § 881
    ],
    because the property was used or acquired as a
    result of a violation of the Controlled Substances
    Act . . . . Pursuant to [
    18 U.S.C. § 983
     and 
    19 U.S.C. §§ 1602-1619
    ], procedures to administratively
    forfeit this property are underway. You may
    petition the DEA for return of the property
    3
    (remission or mitigation), and/or you may contest
    the seizure and forfeiture of the property in
    Federal Court.
    Def.’s Ex. 1; see also infra Section II (discussing the statutory
    scheme established by Congress in civil forfeiture actions, and
    providing an overview of the process for filing (i) a “petition”
    for the return of property with the DEA and/or (ii) a “claim” for
    the judicial review of the seizure and forfeiture with the DEA).
    Plaintiffs received this Notice.       Compl. ¶ 40.1
    On October 10, 2008, counsel for plaintiffs sent the
    following letter to the DEA requesting the return of the $19,800
    in seized funds (the “October 10, 2008 Letter”):
    I am the attorney representing Ms. Tiana Dupree and
    Randy Martin who on August 8, 2008 had the sum of
    $19,800 taken from them by DEA agents while lawfully
    traveling from Florida to New York. The money was
    seized during an alleged random drug search despite
    the fact that there were no drugs found on my client,
    there was no commission of a crime and the Agent
    could not express any legal basis for the seizure of
    the funds from my clients. There were no arrests and
    no other property was seized.
    I am submitting my clients’ sworn affidavits to
    petition you to return their property forthwith. In
    doing so, we do not waive our right to proceed in any
    other lawful manner to recover the sum in question.
    In the event you have nay [sic] lawful reason for the
    seizure and subsequent forfeiture of my clients’
    money I request that this information be forwarded to
    1
    In addition to sending the Notices of Seizure, the DEA also
    filed three legal notices in the Wall Street Journal, apprising
    potentially interested parties of the seizure and indicating that
    November 27, 2008 was the last date to file a claim or petition
    for the funds. See Def.’s Ex 9 (Legal Notices dated October 13,
    2008, October 20, 2008, and October 27, 2008).
    4
    my office immediately. However, as I suspect you
    will agree that the money should be returned to my
    clients’ I would appreciate it if you could forward a
    check made payable to STEVEN M. FEINBERG, ESQ., as
    attorney, to my office address. Thank you for your
    anticipated cooperation.
    Def.’s Ex. 10.   The letter was accompanied by sworn declarations
    from Dupree and Martin, captioned “Petition for the Return of
    Money.”    See Def.’s Ex. 10.
    On October 20, 2008, the DEA mailed a form letter to
    plaintiffs, indicating that “[y]our petition for Remission and/or
    Mitigation will be ruled on administratively by this office.
    Before any decision can be made, your petition must be reviewed
    and an investigation may be required.”    Def.’s Ex. 11.   By
    letters dated December 26, 2008 and March 12, 2009, plaintiffs’
    counsel requested updates regarding the status of his October 10,
    2008 Letter requesting the return of funds.    See Def.’s Exs. 13,
    16.
    C.    Forfeiture of the Funds
    On March 23, 2009 – while plaintiffs’ October 10, 2008
    Letter was still under administrative review – the DEA issued a
    Declaration of Forfeiture (the “Declaration”), whereby the
    $19,800 in seized funds were forfeited to the United States
    pursuant to 
    19 U.S.C. § 1609
    .    See Def.’s Ex. 17.2
    2
    See Def.’s Ex. 17 (“The [$19,800 U.S. Currency] has been
    seized by agents of the [DEA] pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Section 881.
    Notice of the seizure has been sent to all known parties who may
    have a legal or possessory interest in the property. Also, in
    5
    D.   Denial of Plaintiffs’ Petition
    On March 24, 2009, the DEA denied plaintiffs’ petition for
    the return of money.   See generally Def.’s Ex. 18.   With regards
    to Dupree, the DEA explained that remission or mitigation was
    inappropriate because “Ms. Dupree has failed to demonstrate any
    interest in the forfeited currency as an owner or a lienholder,
    as required by Federal regulation.”   Def.’s Ex. 18 at 2.   Next,
    with regards to Martin, the DEA found that he failed to provide
    any documentation substantiating his allegation that he was “the
    owner of the cash” or “a legitimate source for the seized funds.”
    See Def.’s Ex. 18 at 2 (explaining that “[p]ursuant to 
    28 C.F.R. § 9.3
    (c)(1)(iv), the interest of a petitioner in the property, as
    owner or otherwise, must be supported by satisfactory documentary
    evidence, for example, employment records, financial statements,
    bank statements, or cancelled checks,” and advising that “[i]f
    your client is alleging the forfeited currency to be the proceeds
    of some transaction, he must then provide credible, verifiable
    documentation evidencing the transaction”).   While the letter
    accordance with 19 U.S.C. Section 1607, notice of the seizure has
    been published and no claim has been filed for the property
    within 30 days from the date of last publication of the
    advertisement. On this date, I have examined this matter, and
    found that there was sufficient information to support the
    forfeiture of this property. Therefore, it is hereby declared
    that such property is forfeited to the United States pursuant to
    19 U.S.C. Section 1609.”).
    6
    also apprised plaintiffs of their right to file a motion for
    reconsideration, no such motion was filed.
    E.     This Action
    On September 15, 2009, plaintiffs - represented by new
    counsel – filed suit in this Court alleging violations of 
    18 U.S.C. § 983
    , 
    42 U.S.C. § 1983
    , as well as the Fourth and the
    Fifth Amendments of the United States Constitution.     See Compl.
    ¶¶ 55-73.   Plaintiffs principally argue that the DEA erred in
    failing to initiate judicial forfeiture proceedings, explaining
    that their October 10, 2008 Letter to the DEA asserted a claim -
    not a petition for remission or mitigation - and that
    administrative forfeiture of the seized funds was therefore
    inappropriate.    See, e.g., Compl. ¶¶ 45, 56-60;3 see generally
    infra Section II (explaining that upon receipt of a notice of
    seizure, a claimant may contest the forfeiture in a judicial
    forum by filing a claim with the DEA or seek return of the funds
    in an administrative forum by filing a petition with the DEA).
    Plaintiffs seek, among other things, return of the funds for
    defendant’s failure to file a complaint for judicial forfeiture
    in a federal district court within 90 days of plaintiffs’ October
    3
    See also Pls.’ Opp’n Br. at 3 (“Plaintiffs do not argue now,
    nor have they in the past, that they filed a petition for
    remission or mitigation. . . . The allegations in the Complaint
    and the supporting evidence clearly show that it was Plaintiffs’
    intent to file a claim and not a petition for remission or
    mitigation.”).
    7
    10, 2008 Letter.     See generally 
    18 U.S.C. § 983
    (a)(3)(B).   On
    December 23, 2009, defendant filed a motion to dismiss
    plaintiffs’ complaint.    This motion is now ripe for determination
    by the Court.
    II.   STATUTORY BACKGROUND
    The funds at issue in this case were seized for forfeiture
    pursuant to Title 
    21 U.S.C. § 881
    (a)(6), which provides that all
    funds traceable as proceeds to a violation of the federal
    narcotics laws are subject to forfeiture by the United States.
    
    21 U.S.C. § 881
    (a), (d); see also Def.’s Ex. 1, Notice of Seizure
    (“The above-described property was seized by the [DEA] for
    forfeiture pursuant to Title 21, United States Code, Section 881,
    because the property was used or acquired as a result of a
    violation of the Controlled Substances Act[.]”).     Such
    forfeitures are governed by the customs laws relating to
    forfeiture.     See 
    21 U.S.C. § 881
    (d).   Under the customs laws, the
    DEA may administratively forfeit goods valued at or less than
    $500,000.   
    19 U.S.C. § 1607
    .   An administrative forfeiture has
    the same force and effect as a final decree and order of
    forfeiture in a judicial forfeiture proceeding.      
    Id.
     § 1609(b).
    The DEA must send written notice to all parties with an interest
    in the seized property and publish notice of the seizure and its
    intent to forfeit the goods administratively.      Id. § 1607(a); 
    18 U.S.C. § 983
    (a)(1).
    8
    Once the federal government properly commences a civil
    forfeiture proceeding, the claimant has the opportunity to choose
    the forum of adjudication.   As discussed below, a claimant may
    choose a judicial forum by filing a claim with the DEA or an
    administrative forum by filing a petition with the DEA.
    A.   Filing a Claim
    A party seeking to challenge the forfeiture of its property
    in a judicial forum must file a claim with the DEA within the
    deadline set forth in the notice of seizure or, if the party did
    not receive a notice letter, then no later than thirty days after
    the final newspaper publication of the notice of seizure.     See 
    18 U.S.C. § 983
    (a)(2)(B) (“A claim . . . may be filed not later than
    the deadline set forth in a personal notice letter (which
    deadline may be not earlier than 35 days after the date the
    letter is mailed), except that if that letter is not received,
    then a claim may be filed not later than 30 days after the date
    of final publication of notice of seizure.”).    A claim “need not
    be made in any particular form” and need only identify, under
    oath, the property being claimed and the claimant’s interest in
    that property.   
    Id.
     § 983(a)(2)(C),(D).4   The timely filing of a
    claim stops all administrative forfeiture proceedings.    See 21
    4
    “A claim shall (i) identify the specific property being
    claimed; (ii) state the claimant’s interest in such property; and
    (iii) be made under oath, subject to penalty of perjury.” 
    18 U.S.C. § 983
    (a)(2)(c).
    
    9 C.F.R. § 1316.76
    (b).   The claim is then transferred to a United
    States Attorney who must initiate a judicial forfeiture action in
    a federal district court within ninety days or return the seized
    property.   See 
    18 U.S.C. § 983
    (a)(3).      In the subsequent civil
    forfeiture proceedings, the government bears the burden of
    proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the property is
    subject to forfeiture.     
    Id.
     § 983(c)(1).
    B. Filing a Petition
    If the claimant fails to timely file a claim, the property
    is administratively forfeited.     
    19 U.S.C. § 1609
    .    A claimant
    may, however, request remission and/or mitigation of the
    administrative forfeiture by filing a petition within thirty days
    of receipt of the notice of seizure.       
    28 C.F.R. § 9.3
    .   A
    petition must include proof of an individual’s interest in the
    property and state the facts and circumstances justifying
    remission or mitigation.     See Def.’s Ex. 1, Notice of Seizure;
    see also 
    28 C.F.R. § 9.3
    (c)(1).5       “Any factual recitation or
    5
    “All petitions must include the following information in
    clear and concise terms: (i) The name, address, and social
    security or other taxpayer identification number of the person
    claiming an interest in the seized property who is seeking
    remission or mitigation; (ii) The name of the seizing agency, the
    asset identifier number, and the date and place of seizure; (iii)
    A complete description of the property, including make, model,
    and serial numbers, if any; and (iv) A description of the
    petitioner's interest in the property as owner, lienholder, or
    otherwise, supported by original or certified bills of sale,
    contracts, deeds, mortgages, or other documentary evidence.” 
    28 C.F.R. § 9.3
    (c)(1).
    10
    documentation of any type in a petition must be supported by a
    sworn affidavit.”     
    Id.
     § 9.3(c)(2).   Once a petition is received,
    a seizing agency investigates its merits and submits a written
    report to the Ruling Official.     Id. § 9.3(f).   The Ruling
    Official then reviews and considers the report and issues a
    ruling.   Id. § 9.3(g).   The DEA has broad discretion in deciding
    whether to grant a petition.     See 
    28 C.F.R. § 9.7
    (a)(1) (“Whether
    the property or a monetary equivalent will be remitted to an
    owner shall be determined at the discretion of the Ruling
    Official.”).   If the Ruling Official denies the petition, the
    petitioner is notified of the reasons for the denial and of the
    right to submit a request for reconsideration.      
    Id.
     § 9.3(i).     A
    request for reconsideration is decided by a different Ruling
    Official than the one who ruled on the original petition.       Id.
    § 9.3(j)(2).
    III. LEGAL STANDARD
    A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules
    of Civil Procedure tests whether the court has subject matter
    jurisdiction over the action.     Zaigang Liu v. Novak, 
    509 F. Supp. 2d 1
    , 3 (D.D.C. 2007).     The plaintiff bears the burden of
    establishing that the court has subject matter jurisdiction.
    Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, 
    504 U.S. 555
    , 561 (1992).       In
    evaluating a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter
    jurisdiction, the court accepts the complaint’s well-pled factual
    11
    allegations as true and construes all reasonable inferences in
    the plaintiff’s favor.    Thompson v. Capitol Police Bd., 
    120 F. Supp. 2d 78
    , 81 (D.D.C. 2000).    Because subject-matter
    jurisdiction focuses on the court’s power to hear the claim,
    however, the court must give the plaintiff’s factual allegations
    closer scrutiny when resolving a Rule 12(b)(1) motion than would
    be required for a Rule 12(b)(6) motion for failure to state a
    claim.   Macharia v. United States, 
    334 F.3d 61
    , 64, 69 (D.C. Cir.
    2003).   To determine whether it has jurisdiction, the court may
    consider materials outside the pleadings.     Alliance for Democracy
    v. Fed. Election Comm’n, 
    362 F. Supp. 2d 138
    , 142 (D.D.C. 2005).
    A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) tests the legal
    sufficiency of a complaint.     Browning v. Clinton, 
    292 F.3d 235
    ,
    242 (D.C. Cir. 2002).    A complaint must present “enough facts to
    state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face” and “above
    the speculative level.”     Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 
    550 U.S. 544
    , 555 (2007).   In considering a 12(b)(6) motion, the Court
    must construe the complaint “‘liberally in the plaintiff’s
    favor,’ ‘accept[ing] as true all of the factual allegations’”
    alleged in the complaint.     Aktieselskabet AF 21 November 2001 v.
    Fame Jeans Inc., 
    525 F.3d 8
    , 15 (D.C. Cir. 2008) (alteration in
    original) (quoting Kassem v. Wash. Hosp. Ctr., 
    513 F.3d 251
    , 253
    (D.C. Cir. 2008)).   Plaintiffs are entitled to “the benefit of
    12
    all inferences that can be derived from the facts alleged.”
    Kowal v. MCI Commc’ns Corp., 
    16 F.3d 1271
    , 1276 (D.C. Cir. 1994).
    IV.   ANALYSIS
    Defendant argues that because plaintiffs failed to file a
    timely claim with the DEA, the agency forfeited the seized funds
    through the administrative forfeiture process set forth in the
    Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act (“CAFRA”), 
    18 U.S.C. § 983
    .
    Because the seized funds have already been forfeited to the
    United States, defendant argues that the Court lacks jurisdiction
    to review the merits of plaintiffs’ complaint.   Plaintiffs,
    however, argue that the underlying administrative forfeiture was
    improper and that defendant’s argument must therefore be
    rejected.   Specifically, plaintiffs contend that because their
    October 10, 2008 Letter asserted a claim - not a petition – the
    DEA was required to cease administrative forfeiture proceedings
    and commence judicial forfeiture proceedings within 90 days or
    return the seized funds to plaintiffs.   The threshold issue for
    the Court to resolve, therefore, is whether plaintiffs asserted a
    claim in their October 10, 2008 Letter to the DEA.   For the
    reasons discussed below, the Court concludes that they did not.
    First, the Court is persuaded by the fact that plaintiffs’
    captioned their October 10, 2008 Letter as a “Petition for the
    Return of Money.”   Def.’s Ex. 10.   Plaintiffs’ letter is not
    captioned a “claim”; it does not mention that a “claim” is being
    13
    filed; it does not request judicial review; nor does it seek
    transfer to a United States District Court.     See generally Def.’s
    Ex. 10.   To the contrary, the October 10, 2008 Letter
    “petition[s] [the DEA] to return their property forthwith,” and
    purportedly reserves plaintiffs’ right “to proceed in any other
    lawful manner to recover the sum in question.”    Def.’s Ex. 10.
    While plaintiffs contend that “[h]ad [they] intended their
    submission to be construed as a petition for remission or
    mitigation, Plaintiffs . . . would not have included information
    required specifically for a claim,” such as a “sworn statement,”
    Pls.’ Opp’n Br. at 3-4, the Court finds this argument
    unpersuasive in light of the fact that “[a]ny factual recitation
    or documentation of any type in a petition must be supported by a
    sworn affidavit.”   
    28 C.F.R. § 9.3
    (c)(2).   Plaintiffs’ counsel is
    therefore incorrect in his contention that “a petition for
    remission or mitigation need not be accompanied by a sworn
    statement.”   Pls.’ Opp’n Br. at 4.
    Second, in response to plaintiffs’ October 10, 2008 Letter,
    the DEA notified plaintiffs on October 20, 2008 that it was
    construing their “Petition for Return of Money” as a petition for
    remission and/or mitigation.   See Def.’s Ex. 11.      Specifically,
    the DEA informed plaintiffs, through counsel, that “[plaintiffs’]
    petition for Remission and/or Mitigation will be ruled on
    administratively by this office.”     Def.’s Ex. 11.   Upon receipt
    14
    of this letter, plaintiffs did not notify the DEA that their
    October 10, 2008 Letter had been misconstrued, or that they
    wished to proceed with judicial review rather than administrative
    review.   Indeed, had plaintiffs informed the DEA upon receipt of
    the DEA’s October 20, 2008 Letter that their October 10, 2008
    Letter had been misconstrued as a petition rather than a claim,
    plaintiffs would have been well within the November 4, 2008
    deadline for filing a claim.   Instead of notifying the DEA that
    their letters had been construed, however, plaintiffs sent
    follow-up letters to the DEA requesting updates “as to the status
    of [their] request to have the funds released.”   Def.’s Ex. 13,
    16.   Plaintiffs also failed to file a motion for reconsideration
    with the DEA after the agency issued its determination that,
    among other things, plaintiffs were foreclosed from contesting
    the forfeiture judicially because they had failed to file a claim
    within the prescribed time.    See Def.’s Ex. 18 at 3.
    Because plaintiffs - who were represented by counsel -
    failed to notify the DEA that their petition had been
    misconstrued (i.e., that their October 10, 2008 Letter asserted a
    claim for judicial review rather than a petition for
    administrative review), this Court will not countenance
    plaintiffs’ post hoc attempts to recast their administrative
    petition as a claim.   See Malladi Drugs & Pharms., Ltd. v. Tandy,
    
    538 F. Supp. 2d 162
     (D.D.C. 2008), aff’d on other grounds, 552
    
    15 F.3d 885
     (D.C. Cir. 2009) (rejecting the plaintiff’s contention
    that its petitions for remission or mitigation of forfeiture were
    also claims).   Having carefully reviewed the facts of this case,
    the Court concludes that plaintiffs waived their opportunity to
    seek relief in a judicial forfeiture action by proceeding with
    administrative review by the DEA.    Cf. Malladi Drugs & Pharms.,
    Ltd. v. Tandy, 
    552 F.3d 885
    , 890 (D.C. Cir. 2009) (“Malladi
    elected to forego the legal remedy it seeks here when it chose
    the discretionary administrative remedy and allowed the time for
    filing a claim under the administrative scheme to pass.    Having
    waived its opportunity for judicial forfeiture proceedings during
    the administrative process, Malladi may not now attempt to
    correct its choice of remedy in federal court.”).
    Accordingly, because plaintiffs did not file a timely claim
    with the DEA contesting the forfeiture, the forfeiture occurred
    and became final in the administrative process.     See Def.’s Ex.
    17.   Under the scheme established by Congress, the filing of a
    claim by an aggrieved party is the exclusive means by which a
    claimant can have a judicial determination as to the forfeiture’s
    validity.6   Because a federal district court has no jurisdiction
    6
    A party may also file a motion to set aside an
    administrative forfeiture if a person entitled to written notice
    of the forfeiture proceeding did not receive the required notice.
    See 18 U.S.C. 983(e)(1). In this case, however, plaintiffs do
    not argue that they did not receive adequate notice, and
    therefore are not eligible to bring such a suit. See Compl. ¶¶
    39-40 (“On September 20, 2008, the DEA mailed a Notice of Seizure
    16
    to entertain a lawsuit which is brought by a claimant wholly
    apart from the procedure established by Congress, this Court
    lacks jurisdiction to review the merits of plaintiffs’ complaint.
    See, e.g., McKinney v. DEA, 
    580 F. Supp. 2d 1
    , 3-4 (D.D.C. 2008)
    (concluding that where the plaintiff received the DEA’s notice of
    seizure and failed to timely file a claim, the Court is “without
    jurisdiction to review whether the forfeiture was based on a
    legal search, as the statute requires, or to order the return of
    the asset”); Aquasviva v. DEA, No. 02-3076, 
    2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16876
    , at *11 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 24, 2004)(granting the defendant’s
    motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction because “the plain
    fact is that plaintiff failed to follow the prescribed route to a
    judicial determination, and [] cannot now substitute some other
    method of proceeding”).7   Defendant’s motion to dismiss is
    both to Martin and Dupree. It listed the property as $19,800 in
    U.S. currency, the owner as Dupree, and the seizure date as
    August 8, 2008. Plaintiffs received the Notices of Seizure[.]”).
    7
    Even assuming, arguendo, that the Court has jurisdiction to
    review plaintiffs’ constitutional and statutory claims, the Court
    concludes that plaintiffs’ failure to raise these claims before
    the DEA precludes the Court from considering them in the first
    instance. See Malladi Drugs, 
    552 F.3d at 891-92
     (explaining that
    because the petitioner “had adequate opportunity to make the DEA
    aware of its [] objection but failed to do so, . . . it cannot
    [later] challenge the DEA’s action on that ground”); Colon-
    Calderon v. DEA, 
    218 Fed. Appx. 1
    , 1 (D.C. Cir. 2007) (declining
    to consider the petitioner’s constitutional challenge because
    “petitioner never raised this contention before the DEA”).
    Plaintiffs present no argument to the contrary. See Pls.’ Opp’n
    Br. at 5-6 (conceding that plaintiffs did not raise these
    arguments before the DEA).
    17
    therefore GRANTED.
    V.   CONCLUSION
    For the reasons set forth above, the Court GRANTS
    defendant’s motion to dismiss.   The complaint in this action is
    hereby dismissed with prejudice for lack of subject matter
    jurisdiction.   An appropriate Order accompanies this Memorandum
    Opinion.
    SIGNED:    Emmet G. Sullivan
    United States District Court Judge
    June 15, 2010
    18