The government’s forfeiture lawsuit against the estate of the late crime boss, Michael J. Miske, Jr., has been delayed again by mutual agreement of attorneys representing the government, the Miske trust, and several lenders. The parties agreed earlier this month on an additional three-month delay to allow settlement negotiations to continue through the holidays. This is on top of an earlier 5-month continuance that expired on November 9.

The agreement puts off a scheduling conference in the case until March 1, 2025. This is a hearing that will establish a timeline for the case, including deadlines for discovery, pre-trial motions, and setting future trial dates.

In a November 5 court filing, attorneys said the additional delay “would be beneficial in allowing the parties to work on a stipulated resolution of this matter that would avoid formal discovery (there are several terabytes of discovery), contested motions, and court intervention.”

The parties also disclosed their intention to hold an in-person settlement meeting, apparently their first face-to-face contact, in December or January.

The case will eventually determine who will get the property Miske owned at the time of his death. The government has identified 26 specific items targeted for forfeiture, including $4,274,497 in cash and checks, real estate appraised for tax purposes at $8.8 million, several vintage cars with an estimated value of $400,000, a 2017 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta purchased on May 30, 2020, for $219,000, and some miscellaneous works of art.

Miske’s most valuable asset is an 8,206-square-foot luxury home boasting five bedrooms and seven bathrooms on a lot overlooking the ocean on Lumahai Street in Portlock, which is appraised for real property tax purposes at $7.5 million, but could sell for substantially more.

The Miske properties have previously been estimated to be worth upwards of $13 million.

The sole beneficiary of Miske’s trust appears to be his granddaughter, identified in court records only by her initials, N.M., because she is a minor.

It has taken 10-months to complete basic tasks, identifying the parties, appraising assets, determining the amounts owed on outstanding loans, and simply “digesting the underlying facts of a case of this breadth” in order to engage in meaningful settlement negotiations.

Attorneys also said they are working on an “agreeable procedure” for sale of Miske’s 37-foot Boston Whaler, Painkiller, and his collection of cars, including a 2017 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, a 1970 Ford Bronco, and four vintage Volkswagens (1951, 1956, 1957, 1961). The law allows sale of assets that “perishable or at risk of deterioration, decay, or injury” during the pending proceedings, or where the cost of maintenance is “disproportionate” to the market value. Proceeds of any sale would be held pending distribution as part of an overall settlement.

A federal jury convicted Miske last year following a 6-month trial on 13 criminal counts including racketeering conspiracy, murder, kidnapping and assault. The jury then decided his properties should be forfeited to the government because the were obtained, in whole or in part, with proceeds of his racketeering enterprise. However, the entire case, from the indictment to the convictions and forfeiture order, was vacated after he was found dead in his cell in December 2024, a month before his scheduled sentencing, forcing the government to proceed by filing its civil forfeiture lawsuit seeking staking its claim to the same properties.

Also see:

“Miske To Forfeit More Than $20 Million In Assets To Government, Jury Rules,” Civil Beat, July 24, 2024.

“The Case Against Mike Miske Could Be About To Disappear As If It Never Happened,” Civil Beat, December 10, 2024

“Miske’s Trust: A Look At His Moves To Control His Fortune From The Grave,” Civil Beat, May 16, 2025.

“With sound mind….” iLind.net, May 16, 2025.

“Miske Case: Prosecutors Agree To Negotiate Settlement Over Asset Forfeiture“, Civil Beat, June 11, 2025.

“The future of Miske’s fortune remains unsettled,” iLind.net, October 20, 2025.