Records for deceased person, Marat Balagula (1943-2019)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

All records mentioning or concerning Marat Balagula, also known as Marat Jakov Balagula, a deceased Eurasian/Russian emigre organized crime figure who operated in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York. Balagula is also a known associate of the Five Families of La Cosa Nostra (LCN), as well as a bootlegger of gasoline.

Balagula was reported dead December 2019 by the British Broadcasting Corporation World Service/BBC News Russian. The original obituary in Russian is attached, as well as the Google Translate machine translation to English. This shall serve as proof that Balagula is deceased and that privacy concerns under FOIA and Privacy Act are diminished.

Please conduct a search of the Central Records System, including but not limited to the Counterdrug Information Indices System (CIIS), Electronic Surveillance (ELSUR) Records System, the Microphone Surveillance (MISUR) Indices, the Physical Surveillance (FISUR) Indices, and the Technical Surveillance (TESUR) Indices, for both main-file records and cross-reference records for all relevant names, individuals, agencies and companies.

To assist in the search and identification of records, the following biographical information about Balagula are known:

DOB: September 8, 1943
POB: Orenburg, Russia (as part of the former Soviet Union)
First five digits of SSN: 062-60
U.S. Bureau of Prisons register number: 35664-066

Additionally, the U.S. Secret Service, which investigated Balagula's activities as a credit card counterfeiter, furnished the following identifiers and employers in response to a request for its records. They may be of use in a search:

FBI #: 226822EA3
Passport #: E1929203 US
Automated Fingerprint Identification System #: 26306
Identification Dates (photo, fingerprint, palmprint): 12/27/1985
License plate at time of arrest: New York # 8672TAY
Employer 1: Sadko Restaurant
Employer 2: Energy Makers of America

If any potentially responsive records have been destroyed and/or transferred to NARA, then I request copies of the destruction or transfer slips as well as any other documentation relating to, mentioning or describing said transfer or destruction, to include but not be limited to confirmation that the Bureau has no other copies of said records.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

T. McElwee