The province has launched a civil forfeiture claim against the man arrested for hosting illegal parties at a makeshift nightclub in his Vancouver penthouse.
B.C.’s director of civil forfeiture is going after $8,740 in cash seized by police when they raided Mo Movassaghi’s downtown condo on Jan. 31.
Among the seized items were waiver forms that guests were required to sign, acknowledging that they were aware that these types of gatherings were illegal under a public health order and that they risked illness or death from exposure to COVID-19.
A sum of money was found in a safe by police, according to the documents, along with receipts for the purchase of alcohol by Envy Clean Services. Movassaghi is the “sole director and operating mind of the company,” the documents allege, and his girlfriend is listed as a contact for the company.
According to documents, the company, which was incorporated in October of last year, was “used to receive proceeds of the unlawful sale of liquor and other unlawful activity.”
As part of its statement of facts, the province claims that Movassaghi’s brother Ali is “associated to known organized crime members.”
In April, Movassaghi, 42, was sentenced to one day in jail and 18 months probation for violating a public health order and illegally purchasing grain alcohol.
None of the allegations in the notice of civil claim have been proven in court.
— With files from Amy Judd