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Criminal Prosecution Cryptocurrency Financial Crimes

Freiberger Haber LLP

Enforcement News: Founder of Crypto Asset and Foreign Exchange Trading Company Charged with Orchestrating a Ponzi-Like Fraudulent...

Freiberger Haber LLP on

The allure of guaranteed profits from sophisticated crypto asset and foreign exchange trading served as the underlying predicate for the claims asserted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) against Ramil Palafox...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

DOJ shifts focus on digital asset enforcement

Recently, the Deputy Attorney General for the DOJ released a memo that outlined a new policy direction for the DOJ regarding the enforcement of laws related to digital assets. The memo emphasized ending the previous...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

A New Era for Digital Assets: The Impact of DOJ’s Shift Away from Regulation by Prosecution and Its Implications

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In a significant policy shift, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum titled “Ending Regulation By Prosecution,” on April 7, 2025, signaling a change in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) approach to digital...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

DOJ Narrows Crypto Enforcement Focus to Fraud and Criminal Conduct

On April 7, in a significant policy shift, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced via the release of a memorandum that it will no longer pursue criminal enforcement actions that effectively impose regulatory...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

First Stand-Alone Crypto Tax Fraud Case Leads to Guilty Plea

On September 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that Frank Richard Ahlgren III pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return underreporting gains from selling $3.7 million in Bitcoin. As we discussed...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

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

Ballard Spahr LLP on

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

Ballard Spahr LLP

Crypto Couple Plead Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy

Ballard Spahr LLP on

In February 2022, we blogged on the seizure of a record $3.6 billion in stolen Bitcoin (“BTC”) and an accompanying criminal complaint, charging husband and wife Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan with...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

DOJ Relies on Traditional Statutes To Charge Defendants in Cryptoasset Fraud Cases

Two recent indictments highlight the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) continuing use of the traditional wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft statutes to pursue fraud involving digital assets, indicating that law...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

U.S., German law enforcement disable darknet crypto mixer

On March 15, U.S. law enforcement, along with German criminal authorities, disabled a darknet cryptocurrency “mixing” service used to allegedly launder more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency underlying ransomware, darknet...more

White & Case LLP

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

White & Case LLP on

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

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Founder and Operator of Bitcoin “Mixer” Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy

Vinson & Elkins LLP on

Larry Dean Harmon, the founder and operator of Helix, a darknet-based cryptocurrency “mixer” or “tumbler,” recently admitted that Helix partnered with darknet marketplaces to provide bitcoin money laundering services for...more

Polsinelli

Court Tells Asylum Seeker Fear of Retaliation by Homeland Does Not Justify Concealing Funds through Cryptocurrency

Polsinelli on

Volodymyr Kvashuk, a Ukrainian citizen seeking asylum in the United States, was convicted for defrauding Microsoft of more than $10 million in digital currency. Evidence showed that Mr. Kvashuk used a program to steal gift...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

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

Ballard Spahr LLP on

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

Burr & Forman

SEC Investor Alert on Crypto Trading Websites

Burr & Forman on

The SEC recently issued an investor alert warning about crypto advisory and trading websites. The alert cautions investors to be especially wary of web-based crypto-currency sites with any...more

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