Akin Secures Victory for Maryland Attorney with Court’s Dismissal of Fraud Charges

Akin secured a significant victory on behalf of the firm’s client Maryland attorney Jeremy Schulman, with an exceedingly rare order dismissing an eleven-count indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

The case stems from charges alleging that Schulman had misappropriated funds and wrongfully represented his authority to act on behalf of the Government of Somalia while returning assets to the war-torn and poverty-stricken country that were frozen in the aftermath of the country’s civil war in 1991.

Prior to trial, federal prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss the indictment which was granted by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis. The decision followed nearly four years of post-indictment litigation, during which the defense filed more than 25 substantive motions, which led to some 20 hearings and conferences, including two lengthy evidentiary hearings where multiple witnesses testified, including the prosecution’s cooperating witness.

“This case was about being relentless in the pursuit of justice and methodical in our approach. Over the course of four years, we succeeded in dismantling a deeply flawed case – motion by motion, hearing by hearing,” said Paul Butler, Akin White Collar & Government Investigations partner. “The decision to dismiss an indictment prior to trial is extremely rare, particularly in white collar cases, but it was clear to Judge Xinis that the evidence to support the charges against Mr. Schulman simply didn’t exist.”

The Akin team led by Paul also included Allison Coffin and Madeline Bardi.

Akin is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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