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☆ TD Bank pleads guilty in money laundering case, will pay $3 billion in penalties
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Dan Mangan | Dan Mangan Is A Reporter Covering Politics For Cnbc.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The total assets of TD Bank’s two U.S. banking subsidiaries will be barred from exceeding $434 billion under that restriction. “Today, TD Bank also became the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to Bank Secrecy Act program failures, and the first US bank in history to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering,” Garland said. “TD Bank chose profits over compliance with the law — a decision that is now costing the bank billions of dollars in penalties. “In August 2021, a TD Bank store manager emailed another store manager and remarked, quote, ‘You guys really need to shut this down. “This settlement lets bad bank executives off the hook for allowing TD Bank to be used as a criminal slush fund.

Persons: ”, General Merrick Garland, ” Garland, “, Garland, David, Lol, ’ ” Garland, ‘, FinCEN, Wally Adeyemo, ” Adeymo, ” Sen, Elizabeth Warren, ” Warren, Bharat Masrani, ” Masrani Organizations: Bank, Department of Justice, TD Bank, Currency, Federal Reserve, “, Washington , D.C, DOJ, Treasury, Enforcement Network, FinCEN, Street, CNBC, of Justice, Consumer Financial, Bureau Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo, Washington ,, Newark , New Jersey, United States, Canada, “

☆ TD Bank hit with record $3 billion fine over drug cartel money laundering, source says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —TD Bank will pay $3 billion to settle charges that it failed to properly monitor money laundering by drug cartels, regulators announced Thursday. TD also intends to pay $1.8 billion to the US Justice Department and plead guilty to resolve the US government’s investigation that the bank violated of the Bank Secrecy Act and allowed money laundering. The US Department of Justice said in a statement that TD Bank had “long-term, pervasive, and systemic deficiencies” in its procedures of monitoring transactions. TD Bank declined to comment on the fine, but the bank plans to hold a call with investors later on Thursday. TD Bank’s (TD) US-listed shares slumped 5% as investors brace for higher legal expenses and weaker growth.

Persons: FinCEN, TD Bank’s, ” John Aiken, “, Allen Stanford Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Bank, US Treasury Department’s, US Justice Department, US Department of Justice, Street Journal, TD Bank, Jefferies, ”, Justice, Treasury, CNN Locations: New York

☆ US announces major bust as efforts to crack down on Chinese money launderers working with drug cartels ratchet up
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

A US-based lawyer who has represented accused Chinese money launderers said the tempo of law enforcement operations against the alleged launderers has increased in recent weeks as federal agents close in on “bigger fish” among Chinese money launderers in the US. None of the federal law enforcement agencies involved in tracking Chinese money launderers agreed to be interviewed on the record. Grassley and Whitehouse have each introduced legislation they say is key to closing loopholes in US law that are actively exploited by the cartels’ money launderers. Elaborate networksRecent court documents illuminate how far-flung and elaborate US-based networks of alleged Chinese money launderers are. Mirror TransactionsExperts say the Chinese money launderers have mastered the art of so-called mirror transactions, which involve a series of deposits at multiple bank accounts to conceal the drug money.

Persons: ”, Anne Milgram, surveil, “, Don Im, Biden, HSI, Ricardo Mayoral, William Kimbell, ” Kimbell, launderers, —, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, ” Whitehouse, Treasury Department —, Whitehouse, Christopher Wray, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Republican Sen, Charles Grassley, Enhua Fang, Li Pei Tan, Tan, Joe Habachy, Matthew Rothbeind, Fang, Chaojie Chen, Chen, Greg Hunter, ” David Luckey, JPMorgan Chase Organizations: CNN, Drug, Administration, Sinaloa Cartel, US Court, Central, Central District of, DEA, IRS, “, Centers for Disease Control, Federal, Homeland Security, Treasury, Treasury Department, Treasury’s, Network, Homeland Security Investigations, DHS, Financial Crimes, Rhode Island Democrat, intel, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Senate, ” CNN, White, Office of National Drug Control, Service, Biden, Republican, Grassley, Rand Corporation, of, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Organization Locations: California, Mexican, China, Mexico, Los Angeles, Sinaloa, Central District, Central District of California, Colombia, America, Oregon, Virginia, South Carolina, Washington, DC, North, Central America, —, Iowa, North Carolina, Belize, Chinese, Georgia, Chicago, Tulsa, East Coast, Detroit , Chicago, Ohio, Western, of North Carolina, Wells Fargo

☆ Regulators want to know more about how Morgan Stanley vets wealthy clients, like a sanctioned billionaire: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

More federal regulators are probing Morgan Stanley to find out how it vets wealthy clients, per The Wall Street Journal. One client includes a Russian-linked billionaire who was sanctioned by the UK, the Journal reported. AdvertisementMore federal regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, are looking into how Morgan Stanley vets its wealthy clients and their sources of money, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. One such client includes a Russian-linked billionaire who has been sanctioned by the UK, the Journal reported. A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, —, James Gorman, Morgan, Morgan Stanley's Organizations: Street, SEC, Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, Caribbean ., Treasury Department, Federal Reserve, Bloomberg, Regulators, Foreign, Journal, Deutsche Bank, Reuters Locations: Caribbean

☆ AI is Uncle Sam’s new secret weapon to fight fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Starting around late 2022, the Treasury Department began using enhanced fraud-detection methods powered by AI to spot fraud, CNN has learned. Treasury’s AI-powered fraud detection recovered $375 million in fiscal 2023 alone, Treasury officials tell CNN, marking the first time Treasury is publicly acknowledging it is using AI to detect fraud. Instead, Treasury officials say the type of AI they are using falls more into the bucket of machine learning and Big Data. The goal is to move with such speed that anomalies are flagged and banks are alerted before fraudulent checks are ever cashed, Treasury officials said. Catching fraud in millisecondsAmiram Shachar, co-founder and CEO of cloud security startup Upwind, told CNN the federal government should “absolutely” use AI to detect fraud.

Persons: Sam, Sam’s, Fraudsters, Wally Adeyemo, ”, ” Shachar, Steph Curry Organizations: New, New York CNN, Treasury Department, CNN, Treasury, Data, Washington, Office, Business Administration, Social, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Google, Facebook, Penny Jar, NBA, Mastercard Locations: New York, Banks, Washington, Hong Kong

☆ Treasury watchdog on a 'full court press' to spread awareness of new business registry rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Brian Nelson, US Treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial crimes, during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. The hearing is titled "Oversight of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI)." WASHINGTON — Over 700,000 companies have submitted data to Treasury's new beneficial ownership information registry, a senior Treasury official said on Wednesday. Nelson said the agency has been "on a full court press" to spread awareness about the registry. Nelson said Treasury has been utilizing multi-lingual guidance, informational webinars, YouTube, and is collaborating with Secretaries of State and Chambers of Commerce to inform business owners.

Persons: Brian Nelson, Nelson Organizations: US, Financial, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, Treasury, year's, Treasury Department, Hudson Institute, Network, New, YouTube, of State, Chambers of Commerce, Force Locations: Washington , DC, WASHINGTON, United Kingdom, United States

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is rolling out new recordkeeping rules for U.S. investment advisers in its continued effort to clamp down on money laundering, illicit finance and fraud in the American financial system. The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network — known as FinCEN — proposed a regulation on Tuesday that would require investment advisers to develop anti-money laundering programs and file reports with the government when suspicious activity is detected by clients, among other things. Treasury last week proposed a rule that would require real estate professionals to report information to the agency about non-financed sales of residential real estate to legal entities, trusts and shell companies. All-cash purchases of residential real estate are considered at high risk for money laundering. The risk assessment also identified cases of Chinese and Russian individuals using investment advisers to access sensitive information and emerging technology, Treasury said.

Persons: —, Biden, ”, Andrea Gacki, Janet Yellen Organizations: WASHINGTON, Treasury, House Locations: U.S, United States

☆ Bitcoin money launderer Ian Freeman ordered to pay $3.5 million to romance scam victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ian Freeman outside of the federal courthouse in Concord, New Hampshire, in April 2023. Prosecutors said that he laundered proceeds of scams by exchanging dollars for the popular cryptocurrency, charging "exorbitant fees" in the process. Freeman earned more than $1 million through his business, which he had not registered as legally required with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, prosecutors said. "Freeman instructed bitcoin customers, who were often victims of scams, to lie to the financial institutions and describe their deposits as church donations. From 2016 to 2019, he paid no taxes, and concealed his income from the Internal Revenue Service," the office said.

Persons: Ian Freeman, Freeman, laundered, Ian, Jane Young, Joseph Laplante Organizations: cryptocurrency, U.S ., Prosecutors, Financial, Network, New Hampshire U.S, U.S, District, Shire Free Church, of, Internal Revenue Service Locations: Concord , New Hampshire, New Hampshire, U.S, Shire, of New Hampshire

☆ Treasury proposes rule to extend anti-money laundering regs to investment advisers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Treasury Department's corruption watchdog on Tuesday issued new proposed regulations that would extend major pieces of the anti-money laundering (AML) rules that apply to banks to some investment advisers. The new rules would apply to investment advisers who are registered with or report to the Securities Exchange Commission, leaving out what FinCEN estimates to be at least 17,000 state-registered investment advisers. The proposed regulations stop short of requiring investment advisers to adopt formal customer identification programs, like banks do. Investment advisers manage tens of trillions of dollars, but until now, they have been largely exempt from the AML regulations arising from the 1970 Bank Secrecy Act and subsequent legislation. In 2003 and 2015, FinCEN proposed similar rules that would have expanded BSA provisions to cover investment advisers.. to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

Persons: Janet Yellen, FinCEN, Andrea Gacki Organizations: Financial, Treasury, Securities Exchange Commission, Investment Locations: Vienna , Virginia, FinCEN, China, Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration wants to make residential real estate transactions more transparent by unmasking the owners of certain all-cash purchases. It's part of an ongoing effort to combat money laundering and the movement of dirty money through the American financial system. The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposed a regulation on Wednesday that would require real estate professionals to report information to the agency about non-financed sales of residential real estate to legal entities, trusts and shell companies. All-cash purchases of residential real estate are considered at high risk for money laundering. One study on the impact of money laundering on home values in Canada, conducted by a group of Canadian academics, found that money laundering investment in real estate pushed up housing prices in the range of 3.7% to 7.5%.

Persons: —, Biden, ”, Andrea Gacki, Ian Gary, Janet Yellen Organizations: WASHINGTON, Treasury, Network, House, FACT Coalition, Small Business Association Locations: Canada, U.S

☆ Man pleads guilty in $1 billion scheme to dodge money laundering rules in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A man described as an "experienced anti-money laundering specialist" pleaded guilty on Wednesday to illegally funneling more than $1 billion in lucrative, high-risk transactions through small financial institutions, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The man, 56-year-old Gyanendra Asre of Greenwich, Connecticut, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to one count of failing to maintain an anti-money laundering program in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, meanwhile, on Wednesday assessed a $100,000 civil penalty on Asre and banned him from participating in any financial institution's affairs for five years. He had previously been employed as a senior vice president at a domestic bank, and was "experienced in international banking and trained in anti-money laundering compliance and procedures," the DOJ said. Asre "represented to the NYSEFCU that he and his businesses would conduct appropriate anti-money laundering oversight as required by the Bank Secrecy Act," according to the DOJ.

Persons: Asre, Attorney Breon Peace Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, DOJ, U.S . Department, Network, U.S, Attorney, New York, Employees Federal Credit Union, Bank Locations: Greenwich , Connecticut, Brooklyn

☆ You can now invest in bitcoin ETFs. But should you?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday gave the green light to the listing and trading of 11 bitcoin exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. Understand what bitcoin is … and what it isn’tIt’s important to grasp what kind of asset bitcoin is. Plus, bitcoin ETFs will make it easier for financial advisers to access the cryptocurrency for their clients who can afford to invest in alternative asset classes. Deciding if a bitcoin ETF makes sense for youThe investment firms that have received approval to offer bitcoin ETFs are competing fiercely for investor dollars. And if you normally invest on a platform that automatically rebalances your portfolio for you, make sure the system does not rebalance your holdings based on your bitcoin investment.

Persons: New York CNN —, Bitcoin, bitcoin, Fidelity, Chainanalysis, Sam Bankman, ” Alex Michalka, Wealthfront, ”, Bryan Armour, … It’s, It’s, ” Armour, Alex Lozano, Lozano, “, Trent D, Porter, ” Porter Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — It’s, The Securities, Exchange Commission, Wednesday, SEC, US, Fidelity, New York Times, Securities Investor Protection Corporation, NASDAQ, NYSE, Morningstar, Better, ” Locations: New York, bitcoin, United States

☆ U.S. companies in no hurry to disclose ownership under new Treasury rule
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen gives a statement to the press during her visit in Mexico City, Mexico December 6, 2023. FinCEN also estimates 5 million additional reporting companies annually, over the next 10 years. The reporting rule is part of the 2021 Corporate Transparency Act that went into effect on Jan. 1. The new rules will make the registry available to law enforcement to expedite investigations into illicit activities — such as drug trafficking and tax evasion. "Information on beneficial ownership will support our law enforcement colleagues in making arrests, prosecuting offenders, and seizing ill-gotten assets."

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, FinCEN, —, BOI, Binance Organizations: Treasury, WASHINGTON —, Monday, CNBC Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, United States, Vienna , Virginia

Here's the state of play globally for crypto regulation and enforcement in 2023 — and a look at what to expect in 2024. "However, much of their work has involved providing guidance to the industry through enforcement actions," continued Levin. Crypto market participants nevertheless hope that the spate of legal challenges brought to crypto companies in 2023 will bring clarity in the form of new regulations. The U.S.'s dominant role in global finance and its focus on consumer protection plays a crucial role in its leading position in crypto regulation enforcement. The region has been increasingly warming to crypto assets, despite a broader anti-crypto push from China, which banned bitcoin trading and mining in 2021.

Persons: Al Drago, Binance, Sam Bankman, Renato Mariotti, Mariotti, Richard Levin, Nelson Mullins Riley, Levin, ada, Changpeng Zhao, Damian Williams, Brian Armstrong, Armstrong, Alyse Killeen, Scarborough's Levin, FinCEN, Killeen, Diem, USDC, Braden Perry, it's, Kennyhertz Perry, Perry, Bafin Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Bloomberg, Getty, Regulators, Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S, Alameda Research, U.S . Justice Department's Securities, Commodities, CNBC, Capitol, SEC, Futures Trading Commission, Department of Justice, Scarborough, CFTC, Protocol Labs, Southern, of, Stillmark, Meta, Visa, Mastercard, U.S ., European, IRS, European Union, EU, France's Financial Markets Authority, AMF, Treasury, Monetary Authority of, Three Arrows, Terra Labs, Terra, Hong Kong Securities, Futures Commission, SFC, OSL Locations: Washington, Europe, Asia, U.S, Alameda, of New York, European, Crypto, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Monetary Authority of Singapore, China, East, Africa

☆ Biden administration announces new financial strike force to curb deadly fentanyl trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The Treasury Department’s Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force will allow us to bring the Department’s unrivaled expertise in fighting financial crime to bear against this deadly epidemic. The strike force will be led by the department’s top sanctions official, Brian Nelson, and the chief of the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigations unit, James Lee. It will “redouble Treasury’s existing work streams, including using financial intelligence to understand risks and map transnational criminal organization (TCO) financial networks,” according to a news release. Several key units within the Treasury Department that specialize in financial crimes, sanctions, and tracking terrorist and illicit financing will be part of the new strike force. The new strike force will also help streamline the Treasury Department’s efforts to coordinate with local and federal law enforcement bodies on potential financial leads.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Brian Nelson, James Lee, ” Nelson, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Biden, Yellen, Nelson, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Monday, Treasury Department, Treasury, Network, Foreign Assets Control, of Intelligence, US Treasury Department, Strike Force, Department, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN, Mexican, Biden Locations: United States, China, Ukraine, Mexico

[1/3] Richard Teng, head of the Middle East and North Africa for crypto firm Binance gestures as he speaks during an interview with Reuters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 30, 2022. Teng faces an especially tough task in transforming the culture of Binance, four of the people said. Still, leading a cultural shift at Binance - a firm shaped by Zhao in his own image - would be "hugely difficult," she said. For years it dominated the crypto market, but this year has rapidly lost market share. Last month it controlled 32% of crypto spot and 50% of derivatives trading, according to crypto firm CCData, down from 55% and 62% respectively in January.

Persons: Richard Teng, Abdel Hadi Ramahi, Teng, Changpeng Zhao, Janet Yellen, Binance, Carol Alexander, Zhao, Yi He, Binance's, Simon Matthews, Richard, Matthews, FinCEN, John Reed Stark, Rajeev Bamra, OKX, Joseph Edwards, Tom Wilson, Elizabeth Howcroft, Elisa Martinuzzi, Louise Heavens Organizations: Reuters, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, U.S, Treasury, University of Sussex, Investors, Treasury's, Internet Enforcement, Singapore, Abu, Abu Dhabi Global, Singapore Exchange, Moody's Investors Service, Securities, Thomson Locations: East, North Africa, Dubai, United Arab, U.S, Abu Dhabi, France, Seychelles, London

☆ U.S. Case Details Binance’s Knowledge About Criminal Users
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Emily Flitter | More About Emily Flitter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For years, the Binance founder Changpeng Zhao and other senior employees at the cryptocurrency exchange knew that some of its users were criminals. Yet, despite regular warnings from some of its own employees that some transactions on Binance.com were violating anti-money-laundering laws, the firm was reluctant to cut them off. Those allegations, which were made public on Tuesday in a sweeping federal case against Binance and Mr. Zhao, show how thoroughly he and his deputies understood that criminals were using their trading platform — and how little they did to stop them. Mr. Zhao and Binance pleaded guilty on Tuesday to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and agreed to pay hefty fines. The Binance official acknowledged the report, then tried to persuade the tech company’s representatives to downplay Binance’s role in the transactions, according to the filing, which FinCEN posted on its website on Tuesday.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Binance, FinCEN Organizations: Binance, Network, Treasury Department, FinCEN, Qassam

☆ US authorities set to unveil settlement with Binance -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 21 (Reuters) - U.S. government authorities are expected to unveil a settlement with Binance Holdings on Tuesday, resolving a years-long investigation into the world's largest crypto exchange, according to a source familiar with the matter. The deal, which will include charges against individuals and resolve allegations of violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and other U.S. laws, involves multiple U.S. agencies: the Justice Department, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the source said. Reporting by Chris PrenticeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Chris Prentice Organizations: REUTERS, Binance Holdings, Justice Department, Futures Trading Commission, Treasury, Network, Thomson

☆ Binance warned VIP customers about law enforcement investigations, Treasury says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Binance's VIP users were granted a set of special privileges, including an early heads-up from the crypto exchange if they were under investigation by law enforcement, according to the U.S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Treasury alleged in a 92-page order that Binance had "developed a process to notify VIP users if they became the subject of a law enforcement inquiry," in a setup where Binance was effectively serving as a lookout for its top-tier customers. Members of Binance's VIP team were instructed to contact the user under investigation by "all available means" including sending texts and calling to inform customers, for example, that their account had been frozen or unfrozen. According to the consent order, Binance's VIP team staff were warned not to be too obvious in their tips. They will be managed by your [VIP] team.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Binance, FinCEN, Binance's, — CNBC's Christina Wilkie Organizations: Treasury's, Treasury, . Enterprise Locations: U.S, United States

☆ What US charges does crypto exchange Binance face?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks at a Binance fifth anniversary event in Paris, France, July 8, 2022. The agreement will resolve criminal charges that Binance conducted an unlicensed money transmitter business, conspiracy and breaching sanctions regulations, the U.S. Department of Justice said. UNLICENSED MONEY SERVICE BUSINESSThe U.S. said that Binance, Zhao and other executives "knowingly and willfully conspired" to operate as an unlicensed money services business (MSB) from August 2017 until October 2022. MONEY LAUNDERING CHECKSThe U.S. said that Binance facilitated "billions of dollars" of crypto transactions for its customers, including in the United States, without implementing so-called "know your customer" checks. From around January 2018 to May 2022, Binance processed 1.1 million crypto transactions worth at least $898.6 million between U.S. customers and those who lived in Iran, the U.S. said.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, ZHAO, Tom Wilson, Binance, Zhao, laundered, Crypto, Elizabeth Howcroft, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: ZHAO REUTERS, U.S . Department of Justice, Reuters, Binance, U.S, Treasury's, Palestinian, Hamas, Islamic, Palestine Islamic, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, United States, Russian, Iran, Islamic State, al Qaeda, Palestine, London

☆ Binance chief will admit violating US laws as part of $4 billion deal to resolve probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance speaks during an event in Athens, Greece, November 25, 2022. REUTERS/Costas Baltas/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Binance Holdings Ltd FollowNEW YORK, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Binance Holdings chief Changpeng Zhao will admit violating U.S. laws as part of a deal to resolve a U.S. probe into illicit finance breaches, according to a source familiar with matter. The deal between a number of U.S. agencies and the world's largest crypto exchange will also involve charges against Binance's former compliance chief Samuel Lim, the source said. The deal will include penalties on the firm of over $4 billion, including $3.4 billion from U.S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and another $968 million from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, another source familiar with the matter said. Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Zhao Changpeng, Binance, Costas Baltas, Changpeng Zhao, Samuel Lim, Chris Prentice, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Binance Holdings, Treasury's, Network, Foreign Assets Control, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, U.S

☆ The Coming Deluge for Small Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report:What was accomplished by applauding China's leader? Images: Zuma Press Composite: Mark KellySmall businesses are often hit hardest by regulation, and the latest federal dragnet is no exception. Under a statute aimed at reducing money laundering, millions of small businesses may soon be snared by onerous reporting requirements and fines for noncompliance. In 2021 Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) in a broad effort to tighten money-laundering laws. The CTA assigns the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) with identifying shell companies used for illegal transactions and creating a registry of businesses with less than $5 million in annual sales and fewer than 20 employees.

Persons: China's, Mark Kelly Small Organizations: CTA, Treasury

☆ US Treasury's Adeyemo Sees More Actions Against Hamas in Coming Days, Weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"We're going to see actions taken by our allies and partners," Adeyemo said. Since the Palestinian militant group's deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Washington has imposed two rounds of sanctions on Hamas. Nelson "pledged continued engagement with those who have taken proactive steps to investigate, identify, and disrupt Hamas-related activity," the Treasury said. Such transactions combining pools of assets or delaying transaction processing can hide the beneficial ownership of crypto assets, Adeyemo said. (Reporting by Andea Shalal in New York and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Writing by David Lawder, Editing by Howard Goller)

Persons: Andrea Shalal, Daphne Psaledakis NEW, Wally Adeyemo, Adeyemo, Brian Nelson, Nelson, doesn't, Andea Shalal, Daphne Psaledakis, David Lawder, Howard Goller Organizations: WASHINGTON, ., Reuters NEXT, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, FOCUS, USA Locations: Israel, Washington, Europe, New York

☆ US teams with Middle Eastern nations to target 'secret' Hamas investment portfolio as Israeli forces prepare for operation in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The United States along with some Middle Eastern nations are stepping up efforts to target a “secret” Hamas investment portfolio government officials believe to be worth up to $1 billion. To target the Hamas investment portfolio, a US official said Tuesday the Treasury Department is working with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The official added that the portfolio is generating significant amounts of revenue for Hamas. Hamas' armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades destroy an Israeli forces' tank near Gaza City, Gaza on October 07. Hani Alshaer/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesNelson urged the Gulf nations to share more information on the parts of the Hamas financial ecosystem “vulnerable to disruption” and called on member countries to take action.

Persons: ” Brian Nelson, Hani Alshaer, Nelson, ” Nelson, ”, Wally Adeyemo, Adeyemo, FinCEN Organizations: New, New York CNN, Treasury Department, Gulf Cooperation, United, United Arab Emirates, Saudi, GCC, Treasury, Hamas, United Arab, Anadolu Agency, Getty, ”, Network Locations: New York, United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, United Arab, Israel, US, Riyadh, Sudan, Algeria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Treasury’s, Gaza City, Gaza, Europe

A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the U.S. Treasury building in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2023. If finalized, the rule would require financial firms to report information about transactions that they suspect involve crypto mixers, which are anonymized software tools that allow users to conceal the source or owner of digital assets. * On Wednesday, the Biden administration issued sanctions to disrupt Hamas' funding, which included a Gaza-based crypto exchange. * The U.S. last year imposed sanctions on crypto mixers Tornado Cash and Blender. Reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington; editing by Michelle Price and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Biden, ”, Wally Adeyemo, Hannah Lang, Michelle Price, Deepa Babington Organizations: Department of, U.S . Treasury, REUTERS, U.S . Treasury Department’s, Hamas, U.S ., Reuters, U.S, Convertible, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Israel, Gaza, Washington

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