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Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) FinCEN BSA/AML

Ballard Spahr LLP

FinCEN Issues Supplemental Advisory on Fentanyl Distribution and Growing Role of Transnational Criminal Organizations

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On June 20, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued a supplemental advisory to alert U.S. financial institutions about emerging trends in the illicit fentanyl supply chain. The supplemental advisory...more

The Volkov Law Group

Episode 302 -- Matt Stankiewicz on DOJ's Massive Criminal Settlement with Cryptocurrency Exchange Binance and its CEO Changpeng...

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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

The Volkov Law Group

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

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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

Troutman Pepper

Understanding the DOJ’s Groundbreaking $4.3B Settlement with Foreign Cryptocurrency Exchange Binance.com

Troutman Pepper on

On November 21, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) unsealed its criminal indictment against Binance.com (Binance), the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and its CEO, Changpeng “CZ” Zhao (CZ). The indictment against...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

SEC Exam Priorities Target AML

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Priorities Echo Prior Alerts and Enforcement Actions - The SEC’s Division of Examinations (the “Division”) released on October 16 a report on its “Examination Priorities” (the “Report”) for fiscal year 2024. This release...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

New FinCEN Director Addresses Key Topics in BSA/AML

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The new Director of FinCEN, Andrea Gacki, addressed several key topics on October 3, 2023 at the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (“ACAMS”) conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Specifically, Director...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

“Tri-Seal” Compliance Notice: U.S. Authorities Release Joint Guidance on Voluntary Self-Disclosure of Potential Sanctions and...

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On July 26, the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Justice released a joint compliance notice (the “Compliance Notice”) updating and summarizing each agency’s position regarding the...more

White & Case LLP

Bitzlato Founder Charged With Facilitating Money Laundering of More than $700 Million in Dark Web Funds

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Anatoly Legkodymov, Russian founder of Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato Limited ("Bitzlato"), was arrested on January 17 based on an Amended Complaint filed by the Department of Justice ("DOJ") charging...more

BakerHostetler

Major U.S. Crypto Exchange Consents to $29 Million Penalty for Historic BSA and OFAC Violations

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​​​​​​​On October 11, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a $29 million civil monetary penalty against Bittrex, a...more

The Volkov Law Group

Bittrex’s Sanctions and AML Violations: The Importance of Compliance Controls for the Cryptocurrency Industry (Part II of II)

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In parallel with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) settled with Bittrex, Inc. (“Bittrex”), a cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to trader virtual assets,...more

Venable LLP

Treasury Doubles Up Enforcement Efforts Against Noncompliant Crypto Platforms

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​​​​​​​The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced yesterday that they had reached settlements for over $24 million and $29 million,...more

McGlinchey Stafford

Cryptocurrency’s impact on BSA/AML and Sanctions programs

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The market for digital assets has exploded in recent years. Digital and virtual currency activities provide great opportunities financially and technologically. However, such currencies can be utilized for illicit activity...more

BakerHostetler

Applying the Bank Secrecy Act, FinCEN Regulations, and Sanctions to the Nascent NFT Market

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Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) often involve two areas with known money laundering and terrorist financing risks: cryptocurrencies and high-value assets, like art. As detailed below, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

OCC Highlights Risks Associated with Compliance Staffing Concerns, Russia Sanctions, Environmental Crimes, Cyber Attacks and...

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On June 23, 2022, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released its Semiannual Risk Perspective (SRP) for spring 2022. In the SRP, the OCC opines on its current safety and soundness concerns for banks under...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

FinCEN Urges Financial Institutions to Guard Against Attempts to Evade Sanctions

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On March 7, 2022, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued an alert (the “FinCEN Alert”) urging financial institutions to proactively guard against possible attempts to evade recently implemented sanctions...more

McGlinchey Stafford

BSA, OFAC, KYC, and CIP – What do they mean to me? [More with McGlinchey, Ep. 29]

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The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and parts of the U.S. Patriot Act’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) requirements have seemingly similar goals: to prevent money laundering and the funding of terrorist activities. Yet a...more

McGlinchey Stafford

Do You Need To Know Your Customer?

McGlinchey Stafford on

Auto dealerships and lenders are likely familiar with “know your customer” requirements, which typically involve obtaining identification information from customers and verifying that information. Most lenders are also...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Risk Management: Agencies Issue Request for Information on Intersection of Model Risk Management Guidance and BSA/AML Compliance

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On April 12, 2021, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Board”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the National Credit Union...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

FinCEN and OFAC Advisories Aim to Increase Cybersecurity Awareness and Thwart Ransomware Attacks in the Financial Sector

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October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) kicked off the month by issuing two...more

Hogan Lovells

Treasury Department issues ransomware guidance in response to significant uptick in ransomware attacks

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In response to the significant rise in ransomware attacks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network...more

Foodman CPAs & Advisors

Financial Institutions Can No Longer Afford to Underfund Compliance Hiring and Training

The Covid-19 Pandemic and the accompanying reduction in economic activity has been a rationale for Financial Institutions (FI) to re-analyze their budgets for compliance training and education.  FIs, as well as  businesses in...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Compliance in a Time of Crisis

Addressing the Evolving Risks - Warren Buffett said that “only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” Buffett was not talking about compliance programs in a time of crisis, but his wisdom applies...more

Orrick - On the Chain

Cryptocurrency and OFAC: Beware of the Sanctions Risks

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A recent federal criminal action shows the depth of the U.S. government’s concern about the use of cryptocurrency (or virtual currency) to violate economic sanctions laws and the lengths to which it will go to charge such...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

AMA Updates AML Best Practices for AML Compliance

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AMA Details Components of a Strong AML/BSA Program - Earlier this month, the American Gaming Association (“AGA”) released an updated Best Practices for Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) Compliance (“Best Practices Guidance”)...more

White & Case LLP

Review of Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Policy and Enforcement

White & Case LLP on

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Executive Summary - Developments and Trends in Policy and Enforcement - US Department of the Treasury - The Office of Foreign Assets Control - Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network -...more

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