Order Granting in Part the Government’s Motion to Seal and/or Redact in Part — No. 23-cr-20253 (Dkt. 228, E.D. Mich.)
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An order by U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy dated August 1, 2025 in United States v. Deangelo Jackson-Portwood et al., Case No. 23-cr-20253 (ECF No. 228), in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, on the government's motion to seal and/or redact in part (ECF No. 205). The government said that, due to inadvertent error, seven forfeiture filings, orders and judgments contained the full names of victims, inconsistent with the Crime Victim Rights' Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3771(a)(8). The court grants sealing of the victim identifying information but denies the request to redact the entries and append Exhibit A, which it says it cannot do. It directs the Clerk to seal ECF Nos. 132, 161, 175, 176, 177, 178, and 188 and has the government refile the forfeiture papers with that information redacted.
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Case 5:23-cr-20253-JEL-DRG ECF No. 228, PageID.1806 Filed 08/01/25 Page 1 of 5
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
SOUTHERN DIVISION
United States of America,
Plaintiff, Case No. 23-cr-20253
v. Judith E. Levy
United States District Judge
D-1 Deangelo Jackson-Portwood,
D-2 Anton Greenwood, Mag. Judge David R. Grand
D-3 Adartha Tillman,
D-4 Timothy Boyle,
D-5 Tyrone Boyle,
D-6 Christopher Lindsay,
D-7 Taurean Davis,
D-8 Maurice Brown-Portwood,
Defendants.
________________________________/
ORDER GRANTING IN PART THE GOVERNMENT’S
MOTION TO SEAL AND/OR REDACT IN PART [205]
Before the Court is the government’s motion to seal and/or redact
in part. (ECF No. 205.) The government seeks to seal and/or redact in
part the following:
ECF No. Proposed Portions Document
for Seal/Redaction
132 List of Forfeiture First Forfeiture Bill of
Property at PageID. Particulars
381–390
Case 5:23-cr-20253-JEL-DRG ECF No. 228, PageID.1807 Filed 08/01/25 Page 2 of 5
ECF No. Proposed Portions Document
for Seal/Redaction
161 List of Forfeiture Stipulated Preliminary
Property at PageID. Order of Forfeiture (D-3)
812–823
175 List of Forfeiture Stipulated Preliminary
Property at PageID. Order of Forfeiture (D-8)
1058–1069
176 List of Forfeiture Judgment (D-8)
Property at PageID.
1082–1088
177 List of Forfeiture Stipulated Preliminary
Property at PageID. Order of Forfeiture (D-6)
1090–1101
178 List of Forfeiture Stipulated Preliminary
Property at PageID. Order of Forfeiture (D-1)
1107–1118
188 List of Forfeiture Amended Judgment (D-8)
Property at PageID.
1317–1322
(Id. at PageID.1609–1610.) The government states that “[d]ue to
inadvertent error, the above filings, orders, and judgments (collectively
referred to herein as the ‘Docket Entries’), contain the full names of
victims in the instant matter, including associated banks and partial
account information, inconsistent with provisions of the Crime Victim
Rights’ Act (CVRA), 18 U.S.C. § 3771(a)(8).” (ECF No. 205,
PageID.1610.) The government asks that a document identified as
“Exhibit A” be appended to the Docket Entries “[t]o limit the
seal/redactions so that they are no broader than necessary and
2
Case 5:23-cr-20253-JEL-DRG ECF No. 228, PageID.1808 Filed 08/01/25 Page 3 of 5
maintain public access to the greatest extent possible to the Docket
Entries.” (Id. at PageID.1610–1611; see id. at PageID.1616–1625
(Exhibit A).)
Having reviewed the materials provided by the government, the
Court finds that the Docket Entries contain victim identifying
information that may be sealed pursuant to Eastern District of
Michigan Local Rule 5.3 and the standard set forth in Shane Group,
Inc. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, 825 F.3d 299, 306 (6th Cir.
2016) (“[T]he interests in support of nondisclosure are compelling, . . .
the interests supporting access are less so, and . . . the seal itself is no
broader than necessary[.]”). Accordingly, the government’s request to
seal and/or redact portions of the Docket Entries that contain victim
identifying information is GRANTED.
However, the Court is unable to seal or redact portions of the
Docket Entries. Nor can the Court append an exhibit to each of them.
Accordingly, the government’s request that the Court seal and/or redact
parts of the Docket Entries and append Exhibit A to them is DENIED.
For the reasons set forth above, the government’s motion to seal
and/or redact in part (ECF No. 205) is GRANTED IN PART. To
3
Case 5:23-cr-20253-JEL-DRG ECF No. 228, PageID.1809 Filed 08/01/25 Page 4 of 5
accomplish the sealing and/or redacting requested by the government
and allowed by the Court,
The Court directs the Clerk’s Office to seal ECF Nos. 132, 161, 175,
176, 177, 178, and 188.
The government must refile the First Forfeiture Bill of Particulars in
ECF No. 132 with the victim identifying information redacted as
reflected in Exhibit A.
The government must resubmit for the Court’s consideration the
Stipulated Preliminary Orders of Forfeiture in ECF Nos. 161, 175,
177, and 178 with the victim identifying information redacted as
reflected in Exhibit A.
Amended judgments will be entered as to ECF Nos. 176 and 188 with
the victim identifying information redacted as reflected in Exhibit A.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: August 1, 2025 s/Judith E. Levy
Ann Arbor, Michigan JUDITH E. LEVY
United States District Judge
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Case 5:23-cr-20253-JEL-DRG ECF No. 228, PageID.1810 Filed 08/01/25 Page 5 of 5
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
The undersigned certifies that the foregoing document was served
upon counsel of record and any unrepresented parties via the Court’s
ECF System to their respective email or first-class U.S. mail addresses
disclosed on the Notice of Electronic Filing on August 1, 2025.
s/William Barkholz
WILLIAM BARKHOLZ
Case Manager
5
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