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Criminal Prosecution Money Transmitter

Ballard Spahr LLP

Criminal Case Round-Up: Recent Prosecutions Involving Financial Institution Officers

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The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has been very active in the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) / Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) space, as reflected by a recent series of individual prosecutions and corporate non-prosecution agreements...more

The Volkov Law Group

Lessons Learned from Binance’s Criminal Settlement (III of III)

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Binance’s $4.3 billion fine is one of the largest penalties the DOJ has ever obtained from a corporate defendant.  Furthermore, its founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao (“CZ”) was also personally subject to a fine, amounting to...more

The Volkov Law Group

Binance Intentionally Avoided Compliance with U.S. Laws Under CEO Changpeng Zhao (II of III)

The Volkov Law Group on

Binance’s settlement with the DOJ represents one of the largest criminal corporate enforcement actions ever.  A review of the facts reveals that the penalty is likely warranted, as the misconduct was driven from the very...more

The Volkov Law Group

DOJ Reaches Groundbreaking Criminal Settlement with Cryptocurrency Exchange Binance and CEO Changpeng Zhao (Part I of III)

The Volkov Law Group on

On November 21, 2023, The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced settlement agreements with Binance Holdings Limited (“Binance”), the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and Changpeng Zhao (affectionally known as...more

Venable LLP

Increasing Regulatory Scrutiny for the Merchant of Record Model

Venable LLP on

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced a settlement with a group of related companies and two of their officers that used a merchant of record (MoR) model to facilitate sales for merchants. According to the...more

The Volkov Law Group

Bitzlato Cryptocurrency Exchange Founder Charged with Processing $700 Million in Illicit Funds

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On Wednesday, January 18, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) unsealed a criminal complaint in the Eastern District of New York charging Russian-national Anatoly Legkodymov, a senior executive at Bitzlato Ltd....more

Polsinelli

Superman29 - Welcome to the Phantom Zone

Polsinelli on

In a lesson to everyone that the use of foolish monikers will come back to haunt you, Kais Mohammad, 36, a.k.a. “Superman29,” has met his Kryptonite - the U.S. Department of Justice. ...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Two Chinese Nationals Charged with Money Laundering Over $100 Million in Cryptocurrency for North Korea

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Case Sheds Light on Latest Methods to Evade Detection: “Peeling” Chains - On March 2, the U.S. government sanctioned and indicted two Chinese nationals for helping North Korea launder nearly $100 million in stolen...more

Hogan Lovells

U.S. man charged with operating darknet-based bitcoin 'mixer' that laundered $300 million

Hogan Lovells on

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has indicted a man from Ohio for running Helix, a darknet-based cryptocurrency laundering service that is alleged to have laundered bitcoins worth $300 million....more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Guilty Pleas Highlight Illicit Funneling of Chinese Cash to Casinos

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Government Suggests that Unusual Pleas are Just the Tip of an Iceberg - Chinese law generally prohibits its citizens from converting more than $50,000 in Chinese yuan into foreign currency in a year.  On Monday, two men...more

Perkins Coie

Blockchain Week in Review - January 2019 #2

Perkins Coie on

U.S. Developments - Regulatory Updates - Texas Clarifies that Stablecoins Backed by Sovereign Currency Qualify as “Money” Under Money Transmission Statute - The Texas Department of Banking recently issued a Supervisory...more

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

This Is Not Fine: Circuit Vacates Fine Imposed on Unable-to-Pay Defendant, Citing Lack of Reasoning or Evidence for Judge’s...

In a summary order issued March 7, 2017, United States v. Marmilev, 14-4738 (Leval, Calabresi, and Carney), the Circuit vacated and remanded the portion of the defendant’s sentence imposing a $250,000 fine after the defendant...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

Virtual Currencies: Court Rules that Selling Bitcoin Is Not Money Transmitting and Selling Bitcoin to Criminals Is Not a Crime

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The ruling is an outlier driven by its unique facts and is unlikely to change the general regulatory landscape for Bitcoin businesses. In State of Florida v. Espinoza, a trial court in Miami recently dismissed all...more

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Florida Court: Bitcoin Isn’t “Money”, and Selling It Isn’t “Transmission”

A Florida criminal court has exonerated a defendant charged with violating state money transmission and money laundering laws. In Florida v. Espinoza, the State of Florida charged Michell Abner Espinoza with one count...more

Goodwin

Financial Services Weekly News - July 2016 #4

Goodwin on

Editor's Note - What Exactly Is Bitcoin? In a case featuring a sting operation beginning with meetings in a coffee shop, ice cream store and hotel lobby and ending with the sale of bitcoins to an undercover Miami Beach...more

Goodwin

Florida Judge Rules Bitcoin is not Money

Goodwin on

On July 25, a Florida Circuit Court judge dismissed state criminal charges against a defendant who attempted to sell bitcoins for $30,000 in cash on the ground that bitcoins are not money. Defendant Michell Abner Espinoza...more

Perkins Coie

Bitcoin Week in Review 07.20.15 – 07.24.15

Perkins Coie on

Domestic Developments - Florida. Anthony Murgio and Yuri Lebedev, operators of bitcoin exchange service Coin.mx were arrested on July 21, 2015 for operating the exchange without a money transmission license. The U.S....more

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Operation Chokepoint and the Brave New World of Criminal Liability - November 2014

The U.S. Department of Justice and banking regulators have stepped up the pace of criminal, civil and administrative actions against banks, payment processors, money transmitters, and other financial institutions, for...more

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