The U.S. Marshals Service is auctioning a 43 ct. stone
seized from a convicted money launderer that it calls “one of the world’s most
perfect and flawless canary yellow diamonds.”

The 43.51 ct. flawless fancy intense yellow stone, which sports a modified rectangular
brilliant cut, is being sold on the online site Bid4Assets.com. View the listing. The
website said in a statement that bids could go high as $20 million.

Ryan Helfrich, deputy marshal for the Northern District of
Ohio, says the stone, once nicknamed the “Golden Eye,” originally belonged to
Ohio businessman Paul Monea. Monea was later convicted of money laundering in a
scheme to hide the proceeds of drug trafficking, court documents say.

The
bidding will take place online Sept. 6–8. The minimum bid starts at $900,000. Any bidders must submit
a refundable $180,000 deposit prior to their bids.

According to Bid4Assets spokeswoman Jenny Lynch, the diamond
will be available for viewing to qualified bidders at an undisclosed location
in Cleveland from Aug. 29 through Sept. 2.

“We have done a lot of work with the Marshals Service, but
this is one of the most magnificent pieces of jewelry we have ever seen,” she
says. “We have had tremendous response so far.”

Helfrich says part of the proceeds from the sale will go any
victims in the case, part to any litigants, and part to the agencies that
conducted the investigations.

The diamond has been warranted to be free of Kimberley
Process claims.

JCK