With OCC Approval, Billionaire-Backed Erebor Sets Sights on Tech Sector
U.S. regulators have granted preliminary and conditional approval for Erebor, a new national bank founded this year by technologists Palmer Luckey and Joe Lonsdale in a move pitched as filling the void left by Silicon Valley Bank’s 2023 collapse, the Financial Times reported.
Judge Quashes Effort to Stop Peru’s Ex-President From Leaving Country During Criminal Probe
A Peruvian judge declined a request to restrict former President Dina Boluarte from leaving the country while prosecutors investigate her for corruption and money laundering, Reuters reported.
Sanctioned Shadow Fleet Ships Linked to Assad Corruption and Looted Ukrainian Grain
Three cargo vessels recently sanctioned by the EU for operating in Russia’s “shadow fleet” were quietly sold out of Syria’s state fleet in 2023 for $1 each to an offshore company in the Seychelles, according to new reporting by OCCRP and its Syrian partner SIRAJ.
Bank of America, BNY Mellon Sued for Alleged Compliance Failures Linked to Epstein
New class-action lawsuits allege that Bank of America and BNY Mellon enabled Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking of underage girls, in part by failing to report suspicious activity linked to the financier until after his death in 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported.
UK Hits Rosneft, Lukoil and 51 Oil Tankers with Sanctions
Britain imposed new sanctions Wednesday on Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, and 51 ships, including 44 “shadow fleet” tankers and seven LNG vessels, Reuters reported.
U.S. and UK Blacklist Pig-Butchering Scammers, Seize $15 Billion in Bitcoin
U.S. and UK authorities seized roughly $15 billion in Bitcoin and multiple London properties allegedly linked to a sprawling online fraud scheme based in Cambodia.
Malaysian Authorities Target $115 Million in UBS, JPMorgan for 1MBD Ties
Malaysia’s anti-graft agency will freeze approximately USD $115.32 million held in Swiss bank accounts linked to Prince Turki Abdullah Abdul Al-Saud, a co-founder of PetroSaudi International and a figure tied to the long-running 1MDB scandal.
In Turkey’s Grand Bazaar, Some See Signs of Large-Scale Sanctions Busting
One of the world’s oldest marketplaces is doubling as a modern hub for sanctions evasion and large-scale money laundering, according to experts who spoke to The New York Post.
Spain Seizes Property of Russian Helicopters CEO: Report
Spanish authorities have seized property linked to Nikolai Kolesov, the chief executive of state-owned Russian Helicopters, on suspicion of money laundering, according to an anti-corruption group founded by the late Alexei Navalny.
In Blow to Moscow, OFAC Imposes Sanctions on Serbia’s Main Oil Supplier
The United States has imposed sanctions on the Russia-controlled Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS), prompting warnings from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić of “unforeseeable” consequences for the Balkan nation ahead of winter, the Associated Press reported.