THE alleged property empire of Stanley and Beatrice Tollman, the veteran hoteliers fighting fast-track extradition to the United States accused of fraud and tax offences, is being threatened by prosecutors seeking millions of dollars in restitution or forfeitures.

The Tollmans, both in their seventies, say they are being unfairly pursued by the US Attorney’s office for southern New York, which is exploiting a new British law that lets America demand suspects be handed over without providing English courts with evidence to prove a prima facie case against them.

The Tollman empire is said to include hotels on three continents, global travel businesses and a portfolio of homes from Geneva to New York.

Mr Tollman’s alleged assets feature prominently in documents filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York outlining details of a fraud said to have involved him and Monty Hundley, his partner in a hotel business. Mr Tollman has said he was a passive investor. Mr Hundley was jailed last year for conspiracy to defraud creditors and income tax evasion.

The Times was sent a copy of the court indictment by the US Attorney’s office last week in response to queries about the case. In a public statement, the office has said evidence at Mr Hundley’s trial showed that banks had been provided with financial statements and schedules which omitted numerous substantial assets of Mr Hundley and Mr Tollman, including Mr Tollman’s luxurious homes in Florida, Manhattan, Connecticut and London.An alleged massive fraud emerged from the collapse of the US hotel group in the early 1990s, resulting in large debts.

Mr Tollman’s alleged assets are listed in court documents claiming that Mr Hundley misrepresented their wealth when Bank of America won a court ruling that the pair owed $9 million (£5 million) to a lender. Mr Hundley falsely claimed that the total value of Mr Tollman’s assets was $37,000.

Prosecutors claim that assets owned or controlled by Mr Tollman but not identified on his financial statement and schedules, included multimillion pound homes, cars and stocks and shares. However, Mr Tollman has indicated to The Times that the American properties did not belong to him. It was Mrs Tollman, for example, who had bought their Florida home. The US attorney's office os seeking the surrender of any property derived as a result of the alleged offences, said to amount to at least $45 million.

HIT LIST

Assets allegedly owned by Stanley Tollman, as listed in US court documents:

$3.5 million

Stock and ownership interests.

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