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FinCEN to Withdraw 2011 Proposed Rule Against Lebanon-Based Bank
On September 28, FinCEN announced its intention to withdraw its February 2011 Notice of Finding and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking identifying a Lebanon-based bank as a “financial institution of primary money laundering concern” under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The bank had been linked with Hezbollah and found to be involved in international narcotics and money laundering networks. Accordingly, through the Notice of Finding, FinCEN sought to impose certain “special measures” on the bank which are designed to, among other things, weaken foreign banks suspected of money laundering and financing terrorism, as well as protect American financial institutions. However, given that the bank’s license was revoked in September 2011 by Lebanon’s central bank, the Banque du Liban, and all of its assets were subsequently liquidated, the bank no longer exists as a foreign financial institution and, as such, is no longer subject to the prohibitions set forth in the proposed rule. The withdrawal of FinCEN’s Notice of Finding does not require a comment period and will be effective upon publication in the Federal Register.
FinCEN Issues Final Rule Imposing Special Measure Five Against FBME Bank Ltd.
On July 23, FinCEN issued a final rule pursuant to Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act to impose “special measure five” against FBME Bank Ltd. (“FBME”), formerly known as the Federal Bank of the Middle East. Special measure five prohibits U.S. financial institutions from opening or maintaining correspondent accounts or payable through accounts for or on behalf of FBME. The action follows a July 17, 2014 notice of proposed rulemaking in which FinCEN stated that it had found FBME to be of primary money laundering concern under Section 311 and issued a related notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing the imposition of special measure five against FBME. Supporting the proposed rule were the following factors: (i) FBME is used by its customers to facilitate money laundering, terrorist financing, transnational organized crime, fraud, sanctions evasion, and other illicit activity internationally and through the U.S. financial system; (ii) FBME has systemic failures in its anti-money laundering controls that attract high-risk shell companies, that is, companies formed for the sole purpose of holding property or funds and that do not engage in any legitimate business activity; and (iii) FBME performs a significant volume of transactions and activities that have little or no transparency and often no apparent legitimate business purpose. The final rule will be effective August 28, 2015.
Second Circuit Rules National Security Agency's Collection of Phone Data Unlawful Under USA PATRIOT Act
In ACLU et al. v. Clapper et al., No. 14-42-CV, --- F.3d ----, 2015 WL 2097814, (2d Cir. May 7, 2015), the Second Circuit reversed a lower court’s ruling that the NSA’s bulk collection of phone data can be lawfully conducted under the USA Patriot Act. The district court had dismissed the ACLU’s complaint, holding that the program was authorized under the Patriot Act. The Second Circuit vacated that ruling and remanded the matter back to the District Court.
In remanding the matter back to the district court, the Court held “the district court erred in ruling that § 215 [of the USA Patriot Act] authorizes the telephone metadata collection program, and instead hold that the telephone metadata program exceeds the scope of what Congress has authorized and therefore violates § 215.” Id. at *33. The Court found that “[s]uch expansive development of government repositories of formerly private records would be an unprecedented contraction of the privacy expectations of all Americans.” Id. at *25. Because the Court decided the issue on statutory grounds, it declined to determine the constitutionality of the program. Id. at *1, *31. Although the Second Circuit vacated the lower court judgment, it fell short of stopping the program and affirmed the District Court’s denial of a request for a preliminary injunction, given that parts of Section 215 were set to expire on June 1, 2015. Id. at *32.
DOJ Charges Former Federal Agents with Bitcoin Wire Fraud and Money Laundering
On March 30, the DOJ filed a criminal complaint against two former federal agents on charges of wire fraud and money laundering of digital currency stolen during the investigation of Silk Road. According to the DOJ, both agents were assigned to the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force – one a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the other with the U.S. Secret Service (USSS). The individual working with the DEA allegedly developed multiple online personas during his undercover investigation of Robert Ulbricht, the alleged operator of Silk Road, and “engaged in a broad range of illegal activities calculated to bring him personal financial gain.” Among other things, the complaint alleges that the DEA agent “sought to extort [Ulbricht] by seeking monetary payment, offering in exchange not to provide the government with certain information if [he] paid $250,000.” The DOJ is accusing the USSS agent of stealing a large amount of bitcoins from the Silk Road website, transferring the bitcoins into a Japanese-based digital currency exchange, and then completing wire transfers from the Japanese exchange into a newly created bank account. The USSS agent self-surrendered on March 30 and the DEA agent was arrested on Friday, March 27.
FinCEN Highlights Information Sharing Program Among Regulatory, Law Enforcement Agencies
On January 6, FinCEN released a fact sheet highlighting its Section 314(a) Program of the USA PATRIOT Act. Under the Section 314(a) Program, federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement are able to contact, through FinCEN, over 43,000 points of contact at more than 22,000 financial institutions to locate accounts and transactions of individuals or organizations engaged in, or reasonably suspected of, terrorism or money laundering. According to FinCEN, since its inception, the 314 Program has aided in 1,909 money laundering and 459 terrorism/terrorist financing criminal investigations. In addition, based on feedback from law enforcement, the Program has contributed to 95 percent of 314(a) requests lead to an arrest or indictment.
FinCEN Designates Foreign Private Bank Under Patriot Act
On July 17, FinCEN named FBME Bank Ltd., formerly known as the Federal Bank of the Middle East, as a foreign financial institution of primary money laundering concern pursuant to Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. As detailed in a notice of finding, FinCEN asserts that the bank attracts illicit finance businesses by soliciting high-risk customers and promoting its weak AML controls. FinCEN explains that the bank changed its country of incorporation numerous times, partly due to its inability to adhere to regulatory requirements, and has established itself with a nominal headquarters in Tanzania. However, according to FinCEN, it transacts over 90 percent of its global banking business through branches in Cyprus and has taken active steps to evade oversight by the Cypriot regulatory authorities in the recent past. FinCEN is proposing a rule that, once final, will prohibit covered U.S. financial institutions from opening or maintaining correspondent or payable-through accounts for FBME, and for other foreign banks being used to process transactions involving FBME. The proposal also would require covered financial institutions to apply special due diligence to their correspondent accounts maintained on behalf of foreign banks to guard against processing any transactions involving FBME. Comments on the proposed rule are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
FinCEN Encourages Information Sharing Between Financial Institutions
On October 31, FinCEN issued a fact sheet to highlight Section 314(b) of the USA PATRIOT Act, which provides financial institutions with the ability to share information with one another under a safe harbor that offers protections from liability. The provision is intended to help institutions better identify and report potential money laundering or terrorist activities. Though the program is voluntary, the fact sheet states the FinCEN strongly encourages information sharing through Section 314(b). The fact sheet reviews the institutions eligible to participate and the process for doing so, and details the information that can be shared and anticipated benefits to participating institutions.