What You Need to Know - In October 2023, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) enacted multiple sanctions targeting the supply chain of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. In addition to...more
Trade-based money laundering (TBML) describes a set of techniques through which drug traffickers, terrorists and other criminals use the veneer of trade to move illicit funds across borders while disguising the origin and...more
Both individuals and companies risk severe penalties if they contribute to money laundering, even if the contribution is the result of negligence. By appointing an anti-money laundering officer organisations will reduce their...more
Cryptocurrencies have been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Their values have plummeted leaving investors out of pocket. Exchanges, lenders, and other entities in the crypto ecosystem have gone bust. Numerous...more
On February 8, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions, pursuant to Executive Order 13581, against an individual based in Honduras and another individual based in Nicaragua...more
We previously blogged on an advisory issued by FinCEN alerting financial institutions to the various financial mechanisms used by traffickers of fentanyl and synthetic opioids to launder the burgeoning proceeds of their...more
Terrorist financing comes at a price – and in the case of a global building supplies manufacturer that has pleaded guilty in a US court to making payments to terrorist organisations, that price is USD 778 million in fines and...more
Since its last enforcement action against Banco Popular in late May, OFAC has been quiet on the enforcement front. Notwithstanding its silence, OFAC has been managing a robust and complex coordinated economic sanctions...more
Prosecutors Target Fake COVID-19 Immunization and Vaccination Cards - In the first federal prosecution related to fraudulent vaccination cards and immunizations for the COVID-19 virus, a California neuropathic doctor, Juli...more
On October 26, Marcus Frazier of New York pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution for his alleged role in a scheme to obtain $6.9 million in Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) funds designed...more
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) on June 30, 2021, issued national priorities for anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) policy (the Priorities), as required by the...more
Donald Rumsfeld died yesterday. When the definitive history of the 21st century is written, no one man may play a more central role than Rumsfeld. The reason? He led America into its disastrous war in Iraq. Not only was the...more
As 2020 drew to a close, enforcement authorities throughout the United States and the Americas continued to investigate fraud, corruption, and other misconduct across the region. In this newsletter, we highlight some...more
As 2020 drew to a close, enforcement authorities throughout the United States and the Americas continued to investigate fraud, corruption, and other misconduct across the region. Below, we highlight some developments from...more
“Front” Seafood Businesses Allegedly Hid the Proceeds From Smuggled Shark Fins and Marijuana Distribution - Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia unsealed an indictment returned in July,...more
In the rainforests of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, the fires often start when drug traffickers try to clear large swaths of land. Due to the dry bush and lack of rainfall, the flames often spread out of control, but in...more
A recent audit conducted by the Department of Justice (“DOJ”)’s Office of Inspector General (the “OIG”) revealed that the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) acted outside the scope of its authority while transacting tens of...more
On 2/6/2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the 2020 National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing (2020 Strategy). The purpose of the 2020 Strategy is to...more
Arrest is Culmination of Elaborate FBI Sting Targeting Banker Who Allegedly Catered to Drug Dealers - On November 12, 2019, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida announced two key money-laundering...more
On August 21, 2019, FinCEN issued an advisory (the “Advisory”) alerting financial institutions to various financial schemes and mechanisms employed by fentanyl and synthetic opioid traffickers to facilitate the illegal...more
On April 17, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (the “Government”) announced its non-prosecution agreement (available here) entered into with a Miami-based gold refinery, Republic...more
A surprisingly strong May US jobs report helped propel stocks up on Friday and end a tumultuous week on a high note....more
Former GE CEO Jeff Immelt’s retirement was short lived. The Jack Welch protégé will be bringing his C-suite skills to Athenahealth, the electronic medical records software provider that’s been under considerable pressure...more
In its recently-published 2017 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA), the Drug Enforcement Administration reports that drug trafficking organizations are turning to Bitcoin and other virtual currencies to enable easy...more
Most individuals convicted of federal money laundering charges face prison time. These prison sentences are often increased by the judge’s determination that certain sentencing enhancements unique to this crime apply. ...more