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Illicit Wire Activity Destined for Sanctioned Country

Law enforcement initiated an investigation into a defendant for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and assisting the business in the avoidance of Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sanctions on a designated country.

The defendant was convicted of violating the…

SAR Leads to Recovery of Funds Derived from Foreign Corruption

An alert financial institution, upon learning of negative information on potential clients, filed a SAR and notified Federal law enforcement officials of its findings. The ensuing investigation revealed that several subjects conducted a complex series of transactions, over a period of several…

Proactive SAR Review Leads to the Arrest of Army Officer and Recovery of Iraqi War Funds

A U.S. military officer used his official position to steal currency designated for war use, transferred the funds to the United States, and then spent that money on personal items. When the defendant conducted transactions with the stolen currency at financial institutions, those transactions…

Casino Currency Transaction Reports Help Track Funds Embezzled from a Public Utility

A man with a compulsive gambling addiction embezzled millions of dollars from a public utility and lived the life of a “high roller” for several years before being caught. The defendant established several shell corporations to bilk a county for water well capacity rights.

As part of the…

Suspicious Activity Report Leads to Arrest and Conviction of U.S. Government Employee for Embezzlement

In a case initiated from a SAR review team, a Federal government accountant pleaded guilty to theft of public money and money laundering. The case began when an alert bank noticed several unusual transactions, including large cash payments to credit card accounts. Activity in one account at the…

Suspicious Activity Reports Identify Transactions Linked to Embezzlement of a Tribal Authority

A U.S. district judge sentenced a financial manager to 10 years in custody for using two financial institutions to launder funds from an embezzlement he orchestrated while working for an Indian tribal government entity receiving Federal funds. He was charged with stealing more than $180,000 over…

Corrupt Official Convicted on Numerous Charges Including Structuring

In a case where a corrupt politician extorted money from his constituents, investigators examining his financial records found numerous instances of structuring. In fact, three different banks filed SARs on the defendant detailing unusual transactions. Prosecutors charged the official with…

Credit Union’s Suspicious Activity Reports Lead to Arrest of Corrupt Utilities Employees

In a case that started with the discovery of structuring at a local credit union, investigators found corruption and kickbacks on the part of public transit and utilities officials. With some corrupt officials asking for a percentage in kickbacks on multi-million dollar contracts, the…

Local Official Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Structuring

An elected official structured transactions in an attempt to disguise from the IRS his earnings from personal businesses. Investigators discovered the structuring after reviewing SARs filed by banks that detailed the illicit transactions.

The official operated a retail business and law…

SARs Help Uncover Bid-Rigging Scandal

In a case where political corruption led to bid rigging of public housing contracts in order to defraud the government, BSA records proved instrumental in understanding the scheme. In this case, perpetrators repeatedly structured financial transactions in order to hide business relationships and…