The US. State Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, in coordination with partners from the Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Police Agency, and National Intelligence Service are releasing a joint public service announcement (PSA) with updated guidance on red flag indicators and due diligence measures to help companies avoid hiring Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) information technology (IT) workers posing as non-DPRK nationals. This update identifies new tradecraft used by DPRK IT workers since the release of the 2022 advisories, including new indicators of potential DPRK IT worker activity and additional due diligence measures the international community, private sector, and public can take to prevent the hiring of DPRK IT workers.
Two appeals related to Denial Orders affecting Russian and Turkish Airlines have been denied, one because the TDO had been reversed, and one because the complainant was not named. Pegas Touristik and Southwind Airlines had filed appeals based on the repetitional damage created by Temporary Denial Orders related to Nordwind Airlines, a Moscow-based holiday package carrier, which remains subject to sanctions. Pegas Touristik is the Moscow-based tour operator which has owned 100% of Nordwind Airlines since 2008. Southwind Airlines was formed in April 2022 in Antalya Turkey by Pegas Touristik in response to the US Sanctions on Nordwind. Despite the distinction, some MRO providers have been reluctant to maintain Southwind's fleet.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri reviewed developments in the Criminal Division's revised enformement policies, citing examples in the department's caseload year to date. Previously Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Argentieri assumed her current role in August replacing Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite. Her remarks were delivered at the American Bar Association 10th Annual London White Collar Crime Institute October 10, 2023.
Both Florida men arrested this Spring in a scheme to launder funds for the fugitive "Gas King of Ukraine," through a Florida metals service center have entered guilty pleas. John Can Unsalan, president of Orlando-based Metalhouse, LLC, and Sergey Karpushkin, a Belarusian citizen from Miami, and were indicted and arrested in April for engaging in a $150 million scheme to violate U.S. sanctions against Russian oligarch Sergey Kurchenko and his two companies. As set forth in court filings, between July 2018 and October 2021, Unsalan and Karpushkin conspired to transfer over $150 million to Kurchenko and sanctioned companies under Kurchenko’s control.
Newly installed FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki outlined her group's agenda including a whistleblower rewards program, rules targeting real estate and investment advisors, drug trafficking and the rollout of beneficial ownership information reporting requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act In a presentation to the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists October 3. Ms. Gacki walked attendees through her objectives since being named to head FinCEN in July. Prevoiusly she served as chief of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced a "Department-wide Safe Harbor Policy" for voluntary self-disclosures of misconduct by acquirers in the mergers and acquisition process.
October 3, BIS announced four denials of export privileges for parties convicted of unauthorized exports of firearms or ammunition.
Stanford University has agreed to pay $1.9 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting proposals for federal research grants that failed to disclose current and pending support that 12 Stanford faculty members were receiving from foreign sources. The settlement relates to research grants that Stanford received between 2015 and 2020 from five federal agencies: the Departments of the Army, Navy and Air Force, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced today that the United States has asked Mexico to review whether workers at the Teklas Automotive facility in Aguascalientes, which manufactures automotive parts, are being denied the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a settlement with Charlotte-based Albemarle Corporation. The global specialty chemicals company will pay over $103.6 million following charges of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). A paralell cash settlement of $115 million with the Justice Department brings the company's costs to nearly $220 million.
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. has reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) following concerns regarding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The U.S.-based out-of-home advertising firm will pay over $26 million in relation to the settlement. The concerns arose from interactions with Chinese government officials in the pursuit of outdoor advertising contracts.
A government contractor has been charged with espionage. Maryland resident Abraham Lemma, stands accused of gathering and delivering defense information to a foreign entity. The compromised material presumably involves Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.
In a recent speech, Marshall Miller, principal associate deputy attorney general, emphasized consistency, predictability, and transparency in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) approach to corporate enforcement, particularly in relation to national security. "National security laws must rise to the top of your compliance risk chart, with the recognition that even the most innocuous-looking transaction or activity could implicate our collective security."
3M has agreed to settle its potential civil liability for 54 apparent violations of OFAC sanctions on Iran that arose from its subsidiary’s sale of reflective license plate sheeting to an Iranian entity controlled by the Iranian Law Enforcement Forces. OFAC determined that these apparent violations were egregious and were voluntarily self-disclosed, and imposed a $9,618,477 settlement
Chief engineer Denys Korotkiy of the Dry Cargo vessel Donald was sentenced on Sept. 15 to serve twelve months and a day in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and failure to maintain an accurate oil record book. Vessel operating company Interunity Management (Deutschland) GMBH previously pleaded guilty for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water and was ordered to pay a total of $1.25 million, including more than $312,000 to benefit marine and coastal natural resources in or near the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.
A Russian citizen who has resided in Hong Kong, was charged in connection with conspiring to defraud the United States and with smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering offenses based on his alleged participation in a scheme to unlawfully procure U.S.-sourced, dual-use microelectronics with military applications on behalf of end users in Russia. According to the complaint, Maxim Marchenko, 51, employed a web of shell companies as part of an overseas smuggling ring to ship dual-use U.S. technology with military applications to Russia in contravention of U.S. law. …
On September 18, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updated the Withhold Release Order (WRO) issued against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries following the remediation of forced …
One of the two Florida men arrested this Spring in a scheme to launder funds for the fugitive "Gas King of Ukraine," through a Florida metals service center has entered a guilty plea. Sergey Karpushkin, a Belarusian citizen from Miami, was indicted and arrested for engaging in a $150 million scheme to violate U.S. sanctions against Russian oligarch Sergey Kurchenko and his two companies. Karpushkins plea acknowledged violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA"), 50 U.S.C. § 1705; and other money laundering charges.
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed a civil penalty of $48,750 against Pratt & Whitney's aftermarket parts division to resolve 13 violations of the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (antiboycott regulations) PWCS voluntarily disclosed the conduct to BIS, cooperated with the investigation by BIS’s Office of Antiboycott Compliance (OAC), and took remedial measures after discovering the conduct at issue, all of which resulted in a significant reduction in penalty.
A federal grand jury in the District of Connecticut returned a superseding indictment charging a Connecticut-based oil and gas trader for his role in an alleged scheme to pay bribes to Brazilian officials to win contracts with Brazil’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (Petrobras). The original charges against Glenn Oztemel and Innecco were unsealed on Feb. 15. In addition to the original charges against Glenn Oztemel and Innecco, the superseding indictment charges Gary Oztemel with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering.
