British Man Pleads Guilty in New York to $99 Million Wine Fraud
A British national pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court for his role in a fraud scheme that took nearly $100 million from victims who funded loans to fake wine collectors, Reuters said.
U.S. Supreme Court Clears Way for Halkbank Prosecution
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Halkbank, leaving the lender to face criminal charges over allegations that it helped Iran evade sanctions and launder billions of dollars through the American financial system.
As Illegal Gold Mining Grows in the Western Hemisphere, So Do AML Risks
Illegal gold mining has grown into one of the Western Hemisphere’s largest and fastest‑expanding illicit economies, out‑earning narcotics in parts of Colombia and Peru and pushing conflict‑linked gold toward U.S. ports and banks.
Congress Expected to Subpoena Banks Linked to Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein remained embedded in Wall Street’s elite financial networks in the years before his 2019 death, maintaining accounts at more than 20 banks and executing large transactions with prominent investment firms, according to new reporting by The Wall Street Journal.
CRYPTO LAUNDERING: How Tech Salaries Fund North Korea’s Weapons Programs
North Korea’s government-backed IT workers are quietly infiltrating global tech firms and contractor platforms, earning steady crypto salaries that are laundered through a sprawling network of intermediaries to fund the regime’s weapons programs, according to new analysis from Chainalysis.
FinCEN Pushes Real-Estate Reporting Enforcement to 2026
The U.S. Treasury Department has postponed enforcement of its new residential real-estate reporting rule until March 1, 2026, issuing a temporary exemptive order to give the industry more time to prepare.
U.S. Drug Prosecutions Fall to Decades Low as Money-Laundering Cases Plummet: Report
U.S. federal prosecutions for drug crimes have fallen to their lowest level in decades this year after the Trump administration redirected agents to immigration enforcement, according to a Reuters analysis.
Chinese Crypto-Launderer Pleads Guilty in London Court
A woman accused of running a multibillion-pound investment fraud in China has pleaded guilty in London to laundering bitcoin linked to the scheme.
UK’s HRMC Steps Up AML Enforcement in Art Sector
The UK art market is coming under sharper scrutiny from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), which has intensified enforcement of anti–money laundering rules.
UBS to Pay Nearly $1 Billion for Alleged Role in French Tax Evasion
UBS Group AG will pay €835 million ($985.6 million) to resolve a yearslong case in France over allegations the Swiss bank helped wealthy clients evade taxes.