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Fans Order Feds to Release Martin Shkreli's Wu-Tang Clan Album

Hated "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli bragged about being the only one to own Wu-Tang Clan's single-cut 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin' album—but an FOIA request, following his arrest this morning, could change that.
Martin Shkreli is taken into custody by the FBI. Photo by Craig Ruttle/AP, via VICE NEWS/Reuters

In a case of poetic justice worthy of Janet Jackson and Tupac, following reviled "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli's Thursday morning arrest on fraud charges, "geography dude" and now, American hero, Andrew Wiseman has filed an FOIA request for the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, Shkreli bragged about buying back in November. When Bloomberg Business revealed that the same guy who jacked the price of a life-saving AIDS drug up from $13.50 to $750 a pill, Shkreli went on something of a kid-in-timeout-finds-the-wifi-password streaming spree, tweeting things like, "Poll suggestions: which artist should I now approach to buy my next private album from?" Well, Shkreli's account has been silent for almost a day now, but Wiseman's is aglow:

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Just FOIA'd the FBI to try to get the Wu-Tang Clan album from Martin #Shkreli - Let's party! pic.twitter.com/Dd0nxU1DwH

— Andrew Wiseman (@wisemana) December 17, 2015

But, would an FOIA be enough for Shkreli to have to release his coveted golden ring? The Atlantic spoke to a few legal experts about the possibility of an asset forfeiture, and the answer remains: maybe. "The government would need to either demonstrate that the property represented the direct proceeds of illegal activity or that there is a nexus—a substantial connection—between the underlying criminal offense with which he is charged and the property the government wishes to seize (and ultimately forfeit)," explains University of Pennsylvania Law School professor Louis Rulli, but it's a good sign that the FBI is well aware of the importance of the material at hand.

Oh snap, the FBI acknowledged my FOIA! #wutang is for the children! #billmurray #tigerstyle #shkreli pic.twitter.com/mpxAe6C0B9

— Andrew Wiseman (@wisemana) December 17, 2015

#Breaking no seizure warrant at the arrest of Martin Shkreli today, which means we didn't seize the Wu-Tang Clan album.

— FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) December 17, 2015

As history proves, it's anyone's guess when it comes to asset forfeitures. At the time of writing, the best thing we can do is salute Andrew Wiseman and wonder if Bill Murray hasn't been pulling the strings the whole time…

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