Albanian prosecutors have identified a Miami-based businessman, Artur Shehu, as a suspect in the forgery of land ownership documents for a coastal plot sold to a company backed by Jared Kushner, according to case files reviewed by Reuters. Shehu, already wanted in Albania for alleged money laundering linked to drug trafficking, sold the land in April to Albania Land Development, a vehicle of the Kushner-supported Sazan Real Estate Development. Prosecutors wrote that there are “reasonable suspicions” the assets were acquired using forged documents, and have ordered the approximately €110 million sale proceeds frozen in a notary account. Shehu’s lawyer, Kujtim Cakrani, denied all allegations, stating his client is neither a drug trafficker nor a forger and that the land has been in his family since the Ottoman era. The case files do not accuse Kushner, Sazan, or any other investor of wrongdoing, and Reuters found no indication the buyers were aware of the suspicions. A Sazan spokesperson said the company believes the land acquisitions were conducted lawfully.

In a separate matter, Argentine businessman Guillermo Tofoni confirmed the existence of a preliminary FBI investigation into financial flows between the Miami-based firm TourProdEnter, directed by Javier Faroni, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Tofoni, who obtained discovery in a U.S. fraud case, alleges that around $40 million of over $300 million in sponsorship payments from Adidas and other partners were diverted through shell companies after being deposited in U.S. bank accounts. The FBI and three federal prosecutors are examining whether the transactions constitute money laundering, tax evasion, or bank fraud, the Miami Herald reported. The FBI’s Miami office declined to comment, a response that, under standard U.S. federal agency practice, is widely interpreted as an indirect confirmation of an ongoing inquiry. Tofoni described the financial trail as fully traceable, with “day, hour and route” of each movement documented.

Viewed from Washington, the two inquiries underscore the extraterritorial application of U.S. financial crime laws when transactions involve American banks or entities registered in Florida. In the Albania case, the U.S. Justice Department declined to say whether it had received a request from Tirana to locate or detain Shehu in Miami. In the Argentina case, investigators are cooperating across borders with Argentine agencies, according to the Miami Herald. Analysts in London note that both episodes illustrate how property and sponsorship deals can become entangled in allegations of illicit finance, even when the ultimate beneficiaries are not themselves accused of misconduct.

The Albanian investigation is led by the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK), an independent agency established in 2019. Residents of the village of Zvernec have been challenging Shehu’s ownership claims in court for over a decade, presenting title deeds and tax records they say establish their ownership; their lawyer said they will seek a court order to halt the resort project. No charges have been filed against any investor. In the Argentina case, the FBI is reportedly compiling a witness list before deciding whether to open a formal case. Tofoni’s civil fraud suit against the AFA continues. The next concrete steps are expected to be judicial rulings on land ownership in Albania and a decision by U.S. prosecutors on whether to launch a full investigation into the AFA-linked transfers.