Aburomi et al v. Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries et al

New York Southern District Court
Judge:John P Cronan
Referred: Gary Stein
Case #: 1:24-cv-05646
Nature of Suit370 Torts - Personal Property - Other Fraud
Cause28:1332 Diversity Action
Case Filed:Jul 23, 2024
Last checked: Sunday Jan 19, 2025 4:32 AM EST
Defendant
Wassim Chahine
Defendant
Fouad Zmokhol
Defendant
Farouk Mahfouz
Defendant
Marc Maamari
Defendant
Berhan Kouraytem
Defendant
Citibank
Defendant
Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries
Defendant
Assaf Holding Company SAL
Defendant
Assaf Holding Company S.A.L.
Defendant
Ghassan T. Assaf
Defendant
Abbas Al Halabi
Plaintiff
Omar Aburomi
687 Alps Rd
Wayne, NJ 07470
Plaintiff
Abdullatif Sabra
2317 Bryarton Woods Drive
Raleigh, NC 27606
Plaintiff
Abdulkareem Qandeel
Plaintiff
Fleta Christina Cousinsabra
2100 Lake Dam Rd #37219
Raleigh, NC 27627
Plaintiff
Sarah Y. Baddour
687 Alps Rd
Wayne, NJ 07470
Plaintiff
Ihab Abbas
TERMINATED PARTIES
Defendant
Fransabank Sal
Terminated: 10/11/2024
Defendant
Bank of America
Terminated: 10/11/2024


Docket last updated: 05/09/2025 11:59 PM EDT
Friday, May 09, 2025
44 44 misc Rule 7.1 Corporate Disclosure Statement Fri 05/09 3:40 PM
RULE 7.1 CORPORATE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT. Identifying Corporate Parent Citigroup Inc., Corporate Parent Citicorp LLC for Citibank, N.A.. Document filed by Citibank, N.A...(Stewart, Sarah)
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Wednesday, May 07, 2025
misc Notice to Court Regarding Voluntary Dismissal Wed 05/07 3:38 PM
***NOTICE TO COURT REGARDING NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL Document No. 43 Notice of Voluntary Dismissal was reviewed and referred to Judge John P. Cronan for approval for the following reason(s): the plaintiff(s) filed their voluntary dismissal and it did not dismiss all of the parties or the action in its entirety; the plaintiff(s) filed their voluntary dismissal in a Pro Se case. (km)
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Tuesday, May 06, 2025
43 43 notice Notice of Voluntary Dismissal Wed 05/07 3:34 PM
NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL PURSUANT TO F.R.C.P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i) AS TO DEFENDANT JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.: Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i), Plaintiffs hereby give notice that the above-captioned action is voluntarily dismissed as to defendant JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Document filed by Abdullatif Sabra, Ihab Abbas, Omar Aburomi, Sarah Y. Baddour, Fleta Christina Cousinsabra, Abdulkareem Qandeel. Proposed document to be reviewed and processed by Clerk's Office staff (No action required by chambers). (jjc)
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42 42 2 pgs order Order on Motion for Extension of Time to Answer Tue 05/06 3:05 PM
ORDER granting40 Letter Motion for Extension of Time to Answer re40 LETTER MOTION for Extension of Time to File Answer re:6 Amended Complaint, with the consent of Plaintiffs addressed to Judge John P. Cronan from James J. Coster dated May 5, 2025.. Application granted. Defendant Citibank, N.A.'s time to answer, or otherwise respond, is hereby extended to Thursday, June 5, 2025. SO ORDERED. Citibank, N.A. answer due 6/5/2025. (Signed by Magistrate Judge Gary Stein on 5/6/2025) (tg)
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41 41 notice Notice of Appearance Tue 05/06 11:43 AM
NOTICE OF APPEARANCE by Sarah Fehm Stewart on behalf of Citibank, N.A...(Stewart, Sarah)
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Monday, May 05, 2025
40 40 motion Extension of Time to File Answer Mon 05/05 3:47 PM
LETTER MOTION for Extension of Time to File Answer re:6 Amended Complaint, with the consent of Plaintiffs addressed to Judge John P. Cronan from James J. Coster dated May 5, 2025. Document filed by Citibank, N.A...(Coster, James)
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39 39 notice Notice of Appearance Mon 05/05 3:27 PM
NOTICE OF APPEARANCE by James J. Coster on behalf of Citibank, N.A...(Coster, James)
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Monday, April 21, 2025
38 38 service Marshal's Process Receipt and Return of Service Executed Complaints Tue 04/22 11:07 AM
MARSHAL'S PROCESS RECEIPT AND RETURN OF SERVICE EXECUTED Summons and Amended Complaint, served. Citibank, N.A. served on 4/15/2025, answer due 5/6/2025. Service was accepted by Laura Kolker, Legal Support Specialist. Document filed by Omar Aburomi. (jjc)
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Monday, April 07, 2025
37 37 service Waiver of Service Executed Wed 04/09 1:26 PM
WAIVER OF SERVICE RETURNED EXECUTED. J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. waiver sent on 3/28/2025, answer due 5/27/2025. Document filed by Omar Aburomi. (jjc)
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Thursday, February 27, 2025
36 36 service Summons Issued Thu 02/27 2:04 PM
SUMMONS ISSUED as to Assaf Holding Company SAL, Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries, Fransabank Sal..(nb)
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35 35 misc FRCP 4 Service Package - Mailed Thu 02/27 2:03 PM
INFORMATION PACKAGE MAILED to all plaintiffs electronically, on 2/27/2025 Re:32 Order of Service. The following document(s) were enclosed in the Service Package: a copy of the order of service or order to answer and other orders entered to date, the individual practices of the district judge and magistrate judge assigned to your case, Instructions for Litigants Who Do Not Have Attorneys, Notice Regarding Privacy and Public Access to Electronic Case Files, a flyer about the free legal assistance clinic located in the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse (only in non prisoner cases), a Motions guide, a notice that the Pro Se Manual has been discontinued, a Notice of Change of Address form to use if your contact information changes, a handout explaining matters handled by magistrate judges and consent form to complete if all parties agree to proceed for all purposes before the magistrate judge, a form for you to complete if you consent to receive filings electronically (only in nonprisoner cases), one or more summonses (only if you have paid the fee in person or if the judge has ordered that a summons be issued to you) - 3 copies of Summons(es) mailed. (nb)
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34 34 service Summons Issued Thu 02/27 2:00 PM
SUMMONS ISSUED as to Citibank, N.A., J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A...(nb)
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misc FRCP 4 Service Package - Hand Delivered to U.S.M. Thu 02/27 2:01 PM
FRCP 4 SERVICE PACKAGE DELIVERED TO U.S.M.: on 2/27/2025 Re: Judge John P. Cronan32 Order of Service. The following document(s) were enclosed in the Service Package: Summons, IFP, Order of Service, Completed U.S.M. form(s) for defendant(s)Citibank, N.A., J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.. (nb)
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Monday, February 24, 2025
33 33 1 pgs order Order Referring Case to Magistrate Judge Mon 02/24 3:59 PM
ORDER REFERRING CASE TO MAGISTRATE JUDGE. Order that case be referred to the Clerk of Court for assignment to a Magistrate Judge for General Pretrial (includes scheduling, discovery, non-dispositive pretrial motions, and settlement) and Dispositive Motion (i.e., motion requiring a Report and Recommendation). Referred to Magistrate Judge Gary Stein. (Signed by Judge John P. Cronan on 2/24/2025) (tro)
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32 32 6 pgs order Order of Service Mon 02/24 3:55 PM
ORDER: The Court respectfully directs the Clerk of Court to mail information packages to each Plaintiff.The Court also respectfully directs service on the American Defendants (i.e., Citibank, N.A. and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.) via the USMS. To achieve that service, the Court respectfully directs the Clerk of Court to: (1) issue summonses for Citibank, N.A., and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.; (2) complete USM-285 forms with the service addresses for each of those two Defendants; and (3) deliver all documents necessary to effect service of a summons and the Second Amended Complaint (Dkt. 6) on each of those two Defendants to the USMS. The Court additionally directs the Clerk of Court to issue summonses for each of the Lebanese Defendants (i.e., Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries a/k/a BBAC Bank S.A.L; Assaf Holding Company S.A.L.; and Fransabak SAL) and to send those summonses directly to Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs may request that the Lebanese Defendants waive service under Rule 4(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, or may serve those three Defendants in some manner permitted under Rule 4(f)(2) or (3). (Signed by Judge John P. Cronan on 2/24/2025) (tro) Transmission to Pro Se Assistants for processing. Modified on 2/24/2025 (tro)
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Friday, February 21, 2025
notice Notice of Case Assignment/Reassignment Fri 02/21 11:55 AM
NOTICE OF CASE REASSIGNMENT to Judge John P. Cronan. Judge Edgardo Ramos is no longer assigned to the case. (vba)
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Thursday, February 20, 2025
notice Notice of Case Assignment/Reassignment Thu 02/20 3:13 PM
NOTICE OF CASE REASSIGNMENT to Judge Edgardo Ramos. Judge Laura Taylor Swain is no longer assigned to the case. (vba)
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utility Case Designation Thu 02/20 3:13 PM
Magistrate Judge Gary Stein is designated to handle matters that may be referred in this case. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 636(c) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 73(b)(1) parties are notified that they may consent to proceed before a United States Magistrate Judge. Parties who wish to consent may access the necessary form at the following link:[LINK:https://nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2018-06/AO-3.pdf] . (vba)
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Monday, November 25, 2024
30 30 1 pgs order Order Granting IFP Application Mon 11/25 3:34 PM
ORDER GRANTING IFP APPLICATION as to Omar Aburomi: Leave to proceed in this Court without prepayment of fees is authorized. 28 U.S.C. § 1915. (Signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on 11/25/2024) (sac)
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29 29 1 pgs order Order Granting IFP Application Mon 11/25 3:29 PM
ORDER GRANTING IFP APPLICATION as to Fleta Christina Cousinsabra: Leave to proceed in this Court without prepayment of fees is authorized. 28 U.S.C. § 1915. (Signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on 11/25/2024) (sac)
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28 28 1 pgs order Order Granting IFP Application Mon 11/25 3:09 PM
ORDER GRANTING IFP APPLICATION as to Abdullatif Sabra: Leave to proceed in this Court without prepayment of fees is authorized. 28 U.S.C. § 1915. (Signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on 11/25/2024) (sac)
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27 27 1 pgs order Order Granting IFP Application Mon 11/25 3:00 PM
ORDER GRANTING IFP APPLICATION as to Abdulkareem Qandeel: Leave to proceed in this Court without prepayment of fees is authorized. 28 U.S.C. § 1915. (Signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on 11/25/2024) (sac)
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26 26 1 pgs order Order Granting IFP Application Mon 11/25 2:55 PM
ORDER GRANTING IFP APPLICATION as to Ihab Abbas: Leave to proceed in this Court without prepayment of fees is authorized. 28 U.S.C. § 1915. (Signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on 11/25/2024) (sac)
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25 25 1 pgs order Order Granting IFP Application Mon 11/25 1:30 PM
ORDER GRANTING IFP APPLICATION as to Sarah Baddour: Leave to proceed in this Court without prepayment of fees is authorized. 28 U.S.C. § 1915. (Signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on 11/25/2024) (sac)
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Monday, November 11, 2024
24 24 respoth Declaration (non-motion) Fri 11/15 4:20 PM
DECLARATION of Abdullatif Sabra. Document filed by Abdullatif Sabra..(tro)
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23 23 respoth Declaration (non-motion) Fri 11/15 4:19 PM
DECLARATION of Abdulkareem Qandeel. Document filed by Abdulkareem Qandeel..(tro)
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22 22 respoth Declaration (non-motion) Fri 11/15 4:18 PM
DECLARATION of Fleta Christina Cousinsabra. Document filed by Fleta Christina Cousinsabra..(tro)
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21 21 respoth Declaration (non-motion) Fri 11/15 4:17 PM
DECLARATION of Sarah Y. Baddour. Document filed by Sarah Y. Baddour..(tro)
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20 20 respoth Declaration (non-motion) Fri 11/15 4:16 PM
DECLARATION of Omar Aburomi. Document filed by Omar Aburomi. (tro)
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19 19 misc Pro Se Consent to Receive Electronic Service Thu 11/14 9:04 AM
PRO SE CONSENT TO RECEIVE ELECTRONIC SERVICE. The following party: Abdullatif Sabra consents to receive electronic service via the ECF system. Document filed by Abdullatif Sabra. (jjc)
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18 18 misc Pro Se Consent to Receive Electronic Service Thu 11/14 8:56 AM
PRO SE CONSENT TO RECEIVE ELECTRONIC SERVICE. The following party: Abdulkareem Qandeel consents to receive electronic service via the ECF system. Document filed by Abdulkareem Qandeel. (jjc)
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17 17 misc Pro Se Consent to Receive Electronic Service Thu 11/14 8:51 AM
PRO SE CONSENT TO RECEIVE ELECTRONIC SERVICE. The following party: Sarah Baddour consents to receive electronic service via the ECF system. Document filed by Sarah Y. Baddour. (jjc)
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16 16 misc Pro Se Consent to Receive Electronic Service Thu 11/14 8:47 AM
PRO SE CONSENT TO RECEIVE ELECTRONIC SERVICE. The following party: Omar Aburomi consents to receive electronic service via the ECF system. Document filed by Omar Aburomi. (jjc)
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15 15 misc Request to Proceed In Forma Pauperis Wed 11/13 11:14 AM
APPLICATION TO PROCEED WITHOUT PREPAYING FEES OR COSTS. Document filed by Omar Aburomi. (jjc)
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14 14 misc Request to Proceed In Forma Pauperis Wed 11/13 11:12 AM
APPLICATION TO PROCEED WITHOUT PREPAYING FEES OR COSTS. Document filed by Fleta Christina Cousinsabra. (jjc)
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13 13 misc Request to Proceed In Forma Pauperis Wed 11/13 11:09 AM
APPLICATION TO PROCEED WITHOUT PREPAYING FEES OR COSTS. Document filed by Abdullatif Sabra.(jjc)
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12 12 misc Request to Proceed In Forma Pauperis Wed 11/13 11:06 AM
REQUEST TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS. Document filed by Abdulkareem Qandeel.(tro)
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11 11 misc Request to Proceed In Forma Pauperis Wed 11/13 11:05 AM
REQUEST TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS. Document filed by Ihab Abbas.(tro)
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10 10 misc Request to Proceed In Forma Pauperis Wed 11/13 11:03 AM
REQUEST TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS. Document filed by Sarah Y. Baddour..(tro)
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9 9 respoth Declaration (non-motion) Wed 11/13 11:00 AM
DECLARATION of Ihab Abbas re:7 Order on Motion for Permission for Electronic Case Filing. Document filed by Ihab Abbas..(tro)
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8 8 misc Pro Se Consent to Receive Electronic Service Wed 11/13 10:59 AM
PRO SE CONSENT TO RECEIVE ELECTRONIC SERVICE. The following party: Ihab Abbas consents to receive electronic service via the ECF system. Document filed by Ihab Abbas.(tro) (Main Document 8 replaced on 11/13/2024) (nb)
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Monday, November 04, 2024
7 7 4 pgs order Order on Motion for Permission for Electronic Case Filing Fri 11/08 8:51 AM
ORDER granting4 Motion for Permission for Electronic Case Filing. The Court grants Plaintiff Cousin-Sabras motion for permission for electronic case filing. (ECF 4.) The Court directs the plaintiffs in this action to comply with the abovementioned instructions. No summonses shall issue at this time. If the plaintiffs comply with this order, this action shall be processed in accordance with the procedures of the Clerks Office. If any of the plaintiffs does not comply with the order, the Court will dismiss that plaintiff's claims without prejudice. The Court certifies, under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3), that any appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and, therefore, IFP status is denied for the purpose of an appeal. Cf. Coppedge v. United States, 369 U.S. 438, 444-45 (1962) (holding that appellant demonstrates good faith when seeking review of a nonfrivolous issue). The Court directs the Clerk of Court to provide a copy of this order to any of the named plaintiffs, other than Plaintiff Cousin-Sabra, should any of them appear at the court's Pro Se Intake window. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on 11/4/24) (yv)
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Att: 1 Supplement 1,
Att: 2 Supplement 2,
Att: 3 Supplement 3,
Att: 4 Supplement 4
Friday, October 25, 2024
6 6 cmp Amended Complaint Thu 10/31 3:24 PM
AMENDED COMPLAINT amending2 Amended Complaint, against Abbas Al Halabi, Ghassan T. Assaf, Assaf Holding Company S.A.L., Assaf Holding Company SAL, Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries, Wassim Chahine, Citibank, Berhan Kouraytem, Marc Maamari, Farouk Mahfouz, Fouad Zmokhol.Document filed by Abdullatif Sabra, Ihab Abbas, Omar Aburomi, Sarah Y. Baddour, Fleta Christina Cousinsabra, Abdulkareem Qandeel. Related document:2 Amended Complaint.(ar)
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5 5 misc Pro Se Consent to Receive Electronic Service Thu 10/31 2:32 PM
PRO SE CONSENT TO RECEIVE ELECTRONIC SERVICE. The following party: Fleta Cousinsabra consents to receive electronic service via the ECF system. Document filed by Fleta Christina Cousinsabra. (ar)
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4 4 motion Permission for Electronic Case Filing Thu 10/31 2:30 PM
MOTION for Permission for Fleta Cousinsabra to participate in electronic case filing in this case. Document filed by Fleta Christina Cousinsabra. (ar)
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Tuesday, October 22, 2024
notice Notice of Case Assignment/Reassignment - Sua Sponte Tue 10/22 10:31 AM
NOTICE OF CASE REASSIGNMENT - SUA SPONTE to Judge Laura Taylor Swain. Judge Unassigned is no longer assigned to the case..(kgo)
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misc Mailing Receipt Tue 10/22 11:33 AM
MAILING RECEIPT: Document No: 3. Mailed to: Fleta Christina Cousinsabra 2100 Lake Dam Rd #37219 Raleigh, NC 27627; Abdullatif Sabra . (anc)
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Monday, October 21, 2024
3 3 order Standing Order re Cases Filed By Pro Se Plaintiffs Mon 10/21 4:45 PM
STANDING ORDER IN RE CASES FILED BY PRO SE PLAINTIFFS (See 24-MISC-127 Standing Order filed March 18, 2024). To ensure that all cases heard in the Southern District of New York are handled promptly and efficiently, all parties must keep the court apprised of any new contact information. It is a party's obligation to provide an address for service; service of court orders cannot be accomplished if a party does not update the court when a change of address occurs. Accordingly, all self-represented litigants are hereby ORDERED to inform the court of each change in their address or electronic contact information. Parties may[LINK:consent to electronic service] to receive notifications of court filings by email, rather than relying on regular mail delivery. Parties may also ask the court for[LINK:permission to file documents electronically] . Forms, including instructions for consenting to electronic service and requesting permission to file documents electronically, may be found by clicking on the hyperlinks in this order, or by accessing the forms on the courts website, nysd.uscourts.gov/forms. The procedures that follow apply only to cases filed by pro se plaintiffs. If the court receives notice from the United States Postal Service that an order has been returned to the court, or otherwise receives information that the address of record for a self-represented plaintiff is no longer valid, the court may issue an Order to Show Cause why the case should not be dismissed without prejudice for failure to comply with this order. Such order will be sent to the plaintiffs last known address and will also be viewable on the court's electronic docket. A notice directing the parties' attention to this order shall be docketed (and mailed to any self-represented party that has appeared and has not consented to electronic service) upon the opening of each case or miscellaneous matter that is classified as pro se in the court's records. (Signed by Judge Laura Taylor Swain on 3/18/2024) (sac)
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service Note Regarding Service on Self-Represented Party Mon 10/21 4:45 PM
CASE MANAGEMENT NOTE: For each electronic filing made in a case involving a self-represented party who has not consented to electronic service, the filing party must serve the document on such self-represented party in a manner permitted by Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(b)(2) (other than through the ECF system) and file proof of service for each document so served. Please see[LINK:Rule 9.2] of the courts ECF Rules & Instructions for further information. (sac)
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Friday, October 11, 2024
2 2 cmp Amended Complaint Fri 10/11 3:16 PM
AMENDED COMPLAINT amending1 Complaint, against Abbas Al Halabi, Ghassan T. Assaf, Assaf Holding Company S.A.L., Assaf Holding Company SAL, Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries, Wassim Chahine, Citibank, Berhan Kouraytem, Marc Maamari, Farouk Mahfouz, Fouad Zmokhol, Abdullatif Sabra.Document filed by Ihab Abbas, Omar Aburomi, Sarah Y. Baddour, Fleta Christina Cousinsabra, Abdulkareem Qandeel, Abdullatif Sabra. Related document:1 Complaint. (jjc)
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Tuesday, August 13, 2024
utility Case Designated ECF Tue 08/13 12:24 PM
Case Designated ECF. (gp)
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Tuesday, July 23, 2024
1 1 cmp Complaint Thu 07/25 4:59 PM
COMPLAINT against Abbas Al Halabi, Ghassan T. Assaf, Assaf Holding Company S.A.L., Assaf Holding Company SAL, Bank of America, Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries, Wassim Chahine, Citibank, Fransabank Sal, Berhan Kouraytem, Marc Maamari, Farouk Mahfouz, Fouad Zmokhol. Document filed by Fleta Christina Cousinsabra. (sac)
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Att: 1 Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet