On March 9, 2007, Robert M. Morgenthau of the Manhattan's District Attorney's office issued an indictment against Paulo Maluf for money laundering in relation to a kickback and inflated invoice scheme that allegedly stole $11.6m from a Brazilian road contract project totaling $140 million. From November 1997 to May 1999 the money passed through an account at the Safra National Bank of New York and was secretly controlled by Maluf. This indictment was maintained by a New York judge on April 25, 2012, who dismissed a petition from the Malufs, Paulo and Flávio, who sought a court order to toss out the indictment.