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  • FDIC fines banks for flood insurance, BSA violations; releases January enforcement actions

    Federal Issues

    On February 22, the FDIC announced a list of administrative enforcement actions taken against banks and individuals in January 2019. The 25 orders include “10 Section 19 orders; two civil money penalty; six prohibition orders; three consent orders; one prompt corrective order; three terminations of consent orders; and one notice.” The FDIC assessed a civil money penalty against a Texas-based bank for alleged violations of the Flood Disaster Protection Act including failing to either (i) obtain flood insurance coverage on loans at or before origination; or (ii) increase, renew, or extend flood insurance coverage on several loans secured by collateral located or to be located in special flood hazard areas.

    The FDIC assessed a second civil money penalty against an Oklahoma-based bank related to alleged weaknesses in its programs concerning Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) compliance, information technology (IT), and internal audits. Among other things, the bank was ordered to (i) grant the board full responsibility for the approval of bank policies and objectives related to the identified programs, as well as supervision of bank management; (ii) retain qualified personnel responsible for managing the BSA/AML and IT programs; (iii) revise its internal control programs to correct the identified deficiencies; (iv) obtain an independent public accounting firm to conduct an external financial statements audit and internal controls review; and (v) implement comprehensive written BSA/AML compliance programs.

    Federal Issues FDIC Enforcement Flood Disaster Protection Act Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering

  • OCC issues cease and desist order against Japanese bank for BSA/AML issues

    Federal Issues

    On February 22, the OCC announced a cease and desist order against three U.S. branches of a Japanese bank for allegedly violating the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). According to the order, after an examination of the branches’ BSA/Anti-Money Laundering and OFAC compliance programs, the OCC identified alleged deficiencies in the branches’ BSA compliance program, including (i) internal controls; (ii) suspicious activity monitoring, which resulted in untimely suspicious activity report filings; (iii) foreign correspondent due diligence program; and (iv) trade finance monitoring. The OCC did not issue a monetary penalty against the branches and noted in the order’s announcement that the branches have already begun corrective actions. This action demonstrates U.S. banking regulators’ continued scrutiny of the BSA compliance programs of U.S. branches and subsidiaries of non-U.S. banks that provide international access to the U.S. financial system.

    As previously covered by InfoBytes, in November 2017, the OCC issued a consent order with the branches that required corrective actions related to OFAC compliance. The branches continue to operate under this order.

    Federal Issues OCC Cease and Desist Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering Financial Crimes Of Interest to Non-US Persons Compliance

  • FDIC issues 2018 annual report

    Federal Issues

    On February 14, the FDIC released its 2018 Annual Report, which includes, among other things, the audited financial statements of the Deposit Insurance Fund and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) Resolution Fund. The report also provides an overview of key FDIC initiatives, performance results, and other aspects of FDIC operations, supervision developments, and regulatory enforcement. Highlights of the report include: (i) the FDIC’s efforts to adopt and issue proposed rules on key regulations under the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (EGRRCPA); (ii) efforts to strengthen cybersecurity oversight and help financial institutions mitigate cyber risk; (iii) supervision focus on Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering compliance; and (iv) financial institution letters providing regulatory relief to institutions affected by natural disasters. The report also highlights the FDIC’s monitoring of financial technology developments through its various research groups and committees to better understand how technological efforts may affect the financial market. Lastly, the report covers the agency’s efforts to encourage de novo bank applications, including the December 2018 request for information soliciting comments on the deposit insurance applications process (covered by InfoBytes here).

    Federal Issues FDIC Bank Supervision EGRRCPA Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering De Novo Bank Fintech Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security Deposit Insurance

  • U.S. Treasury concerned with European Commission's identification of AML/CFT-deficient U.S. territories

    Financial Crimes

    On February 13, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a statement responding to a list of jurisdictions published by the European Commission as having strategic deficiencies related to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). The list—which includes certain jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies that were already identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) (see previous InfoBytes coverage here)—also identifies 11 additional jurisdictions, including the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the European Commission, the “banks and other entities covered by EU anti-money laundering rules will be required to apply increased checks (due diligence) on financial operations involving customers and financial institutions from these high-risk third countries to better identify any suspicious money flows.”

    Financial Crimes Department of Treasury European Union Of Interest to Non-US Persons Anti-Money Laundering Combating the Financing of Terrorism FATF

  • Hawaiian executive's bribery guilty plea leads to Micronesian official charged with money laundering conspiracy

    Financial Crimes

    On February 11, the Department of Justice (DOJ) unsealed conspiracy to commit money laundering charges against a Micronesian government official alleged to have taken bribes to secure engineering and project management contracts from the government of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The charges follow the recent guilty plea by a Hawaiian executive to a charge of conspiracy to bribe the Micronesian official in violation of the FCPA. 

    According to the DOJ,  a Micronesian citizen was a government official in the FSM Department of Transportation, Communications and Infrastructure who administered FSM’s aviation programs. Between 2006 and 2016, the Hawaiian executive’s Hawaii-based engineering and consulting company allegedly paid around $440,000 in bribes in the form of cash, vehicles, and entertainment to FSM officials, including the citizen, to obtain and retain contracts with the FSM government valued at nearly $8 million. The complaint unsealed on Monday contains specific examples of requests by the citizen to the executive for cash gifts and a 2014 Chevy Silverado. According to the executive’s guilty plea, he fulfilled the citizen’s requests and sent wire transfers and the automobile internationally for the citizen’s personal use.

    Financial Crimes DOJ Anti-Money Laundering Bribery Of Interest to Non-US Persons

  • Former oil-services sales executive pleads guilty in U.K. to bribery charges

    Financial Crimes

    On February 6, the U.K. SFO announced that a former sales executive of an oil-services company had pleaded guilty in the U.K. to 11 counts of bribery regarding payments made in exchange for winning oil-services contracts in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The executive – a British citizen and the former global head of sales for a subsidiary of the company – pleaded guilty to participating in payments of more than $6 million to agents to win contracts worth more than $4 billion in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The SFO’s investigation of the company regarding suspected bribery and money laundering, which was announced in May 2017, is ongoing, but no other officers or employees are currently charged.

    Financial Crimes UK SFO Bribery Anti-Money Laundering

  • Former insurance executives charged with laundering bribes to Barbados Minister of Industry

    Financial Crimes

    On January 28, DOJ announced charges against the former chief executive and a former senior vice president of a Barbados-based insurance company. The indictment alleges that the the company's executives participated in a scheme to launder approximately $36,000 in bribes to the then-Minister of Industry of Barbados in exchange for his assistance in securing government contracts for the company. According to the indictment, the bribes were laundered through a United States bank account in the name of a dental company located in New York. The former Minister of Industry was arrested in August 2018 and the indictment against him referenced, but did not name, his alleged co-conspirators. The superseding indictment against the three co-defendants and another still unnamed former insurance executive was unsealed on January 18, 2019. Prior Scorecard coverage of the arrest and indictment of the former Minister of Industry can be found here.

    The company voluntarily self-disclosed the case to DOJ and received a declination letter from DOJ for its cooperation pursuant to the FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy. The declination letter required the company to disgorge $93,940.19 in profits received through the conduct at issue. The declination was based, in part, on the company’s termination of all executives and employees involved in the alleged misconduct and in helping DOJ identify the culpable individuals. Prior Scorecard coverage of the declination letter can be found here.

    Financial Crimes DOJ Anti-Money Laundering Bribery FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy Of Interest to Non-US Persons

  • Federal Reserve issues enforcement action against Texas bank for BSA/AML compliance issues

    Financial Crimes

    On January 8, the Federal Reserve Board announced an enforcement action against a Texas bank for alleged weaknesses in its anti-money laundering risk management and compliance programs, including failure to comply with applicable rules and regulations, such as the Bank Secrecy Act. Under the terms of the order, the bank is required to (i) develop and implement a written plan to strengthen the board of directors’ oversight of Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (BSA/AML) compliance; (ii) submit an enhanced written compliance program that complies with BSA/AML requirements; (iii) ensure the bank provides effective training for all personnel related to BSA/AML compliance responsibilities; (iv) submit an enhanced, written customer due diligence plan; (v) submit a program to ensure compliant, timely, and accurate suspicious activity monitoring and reporting; (vi) retain an independent third party to ensure the effectiveness of the bank’s transaction monitoring system; and (vii) submit a written plan for independent testing of the bank’s compliance with all applicable BSA/AML requirements. A civil money penalty was not assessed against the bank.

    Financial Crimes Federal Reserve Anti-Money Laundering Bank Compliance Bank Secrecy Act

  • FINRA fines broker-dealer for AML program deficiencies

    Financial Crimes

    On December 26, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) entered into a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC), fining a broker-dealer $10 million for failing to establish and enforce an anti-money laundering (AML) program that complies with Bank Secrecy Act and implementing regulation requirements. According to FINRA, alleged failures in the firm’s automated AML surveillance system allowed transactions from countries with “high money laundering risk” to flow through the financial system from January 2011 through at least April 2016. Furthermore, the firm allegedly failed to (i) devote sufficient resources to reviewing suspicious transactions; (ii) adequately monitor customers’ penny stock trades and deposits for suspicious activities; and (iii) adequately monitor and conduct risk-based reviews of correspondent accounts of certain foreign financial institutions.

    The firm neither admitted nor denied the findings set forth in the AWC agreement, but agreed to address identified deficiencies in its programs. FINRA further noted that the firm “has taken extraordinary steps and devoted substantial resources since 2013 to expand and enhance its AML policies and procedures.”

    Financial Crimes FINRA Anti-Money Laundering Bank Secrecy Act

  • Treasury issues national illicit finance strategy

    Financial Crimes

    On December 20, the U.S. Treasury Department issued the National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing (the National Illicit Finance Strategy). Pursuant to Sections 261 and 262 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 (CAATSA), the National Illicit Finance Strategy describes current U.S. government efforts to combat domestic and international illicit finance threats in the areas of terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and money laundering, and discusses potential risks, priorities and objectives, as well as areas for improvement. The document addresses the strengths of U.S. counter-illicit finance efforts, including the legal and regulatory framework, as well as efforts undertaken to improve the effectiveness of national safeguards currently in place due to changes in technology and emerging threats. Recent efforts include a working group formed earlier in December to explore ways to modernize the Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering regulatory regime and encourage banks and credit unions to explore innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence, digital identity technologies, and internal financial intelligence units to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit financial threats when safeguarding the financial system (see previous InfoBytes coverage here).

    Financial Crimes Department of Treasury CAATSA Bank Secrecy Act Anti-Money Laundering

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