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To: westpacific who wrote (97804)	5/22/2009 10:47:58 AM
From: Haim R. Branisteanu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

OT - for the attorneys on this tread Need your advice – I intended to buy an apartment in Tel Aviv after some background research I found out that the apartment was bought by the present owner via a money laundering scheme. The scheme was to buy the apartments for 2/3 of the actual price and pay fewer income taxes (in Israel it is called Mass Shevach) and the other third channeled back to the original seller etc. The apartment in question was given to the present owner for free as a result of the above mentioned scheme/transaction. Because of a low tax base the taxes are 25% of the sale price. Unfortunate in Israel avoiding paying income taxes and the resulting kickback is not a money laundering event if drugs or terror etc., is not involved. My understanding of the USC law defines such transaction as money laundering and that as an US citizen knowingly buying an assets purchased with laundered money is a violation of law. I need the relevant laws dealing with this to forward to my attorney to enable me to cancel the commitment to buy the apartment. Thanks in advance Haim .... and BTW please complain to the State Dept. / REp. in Congress or Senator, that in Israel such practices exist