| Advertisement |
LOS ANGELES, June 1 (UPI) -- Federal prosecutors filed suit on Tuesday to stop the family of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook from collecting a more than $250,000 life insurance payment. The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles alleges in its lawsuit that Farook's life insurance payment should go to the victims and not the policy holder family because the policy holder committed a terrorist act.
Advertisement
"Terrorists must not be permitted to provide for their designated beneficiaries through their crimes," said U.S. Atty. Eileen Decker in a statement. "My office intends to explore every legal option available to us to ensure these funds are made available to the victims of this horrific crime. We will continue to use every tool available to seek justice on behalf of the victims of the San Bernardino terrorist attacks."
The government said assets derived from terrorism against the United States are subject to forfeiture under federal law. The suit seeks to seize both the proceeds and the policies themselves.
Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, shot and killed 14 people and injured 22 others at a San Bernardino County workers holiday party Dec. 2. He and his wife Tashfeen Malik died in a shootout with police after the attack.
The civil asset forfeiture lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles for Farook's two policies worth a total of $275,000.
Federal prosecutors allege Farook signed a $25,000 life insurance policy after being hired by San Bernardino County in 2012, then acquired a second one for $250,000 in 2013. Farook listed his mother, Rafia Farook, as the beneficiary in both policies.
