Russian Hacker Gets Nine Years in Prison for US Insider Trading

Reported by Chris Dolmetsch A Russian man with ties to the Kremlin was ordered by a US judge to serve nine years in prison for leading an insider-trading ringthat earned tens of millions of dollars by hacking into systems used by public companies to file earnings reports. Vladislav Klyushin, 42, was sentenced Thursday by US District […]

The Dangerous Loophole in Western Sanctions on Russia

Reported by Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld and Michal Wyrebkowski (Shortened version of original report is presented below) The economic blockade of Russia has proven effective thanks to a combination of government sanctions and the exit of over 1,100 multinational firms from the country. However, President Putin’s war campaign persists, partly because he can tap into the […]

Money Laundering Concerns at Universities

Reported by Patrick Jack A fifth of UK universities still accept cash for tuition fees despite the risk of it being a method of laundering criminal money, according to new research. A report from Cardiff University and the University of the West of England (UWE) says that a significant number of providers are failing to provide staff and students with guidance […]

The CTA’s Impact on Aircraft Beneficial Ownership

Reported by Libby Bloxom, Jonathan Epstein, and Alan Winston Granwell of Holland & Knight LLP The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), enacted by Congress as part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, for the first time under federal law, requires the establishment of a centralized, national beneficial ownership information (BOI) registry. The purpose of the […]

ECJ rules sanctions on Russian tech boss should be lifted

Reported by Polina Ivanova The EU’s highest court has ruled that sanctions against a Russian tech executive should be lifted, the first time it has revoked measures against a businessman sanctioned over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Alexander Shulgin, former chief executive of ecommerce platform Ozon, had joined dozens of other members of Russia’s elite in […]

Swedish criminal gangs using fake Spotify streams to launder money

Reported by Agence France-Presse in Stockholm Criminal gangs behind a rise in bombings and shootings in Sweden in recent years are using fake Spotify streams to launder money, a Swedish newspaper reported on Tuesday. Criminal networks have for several years been using money from drug deals, robberies, fraud and contract killings to pay for false Spotifystreams of songs […]

Switzerland unveils money laundering clampdown

Reported by Sam Jones Switzerland has proposed sweeping measures to clamp down on money laundering in an effort to shed the country’s reputation as a haven for ill-gotten gains. Finance minister Karin Keller-Sutter unveiled reforms on Wednesday to increase transparency and close legal loopholes by requiring the ultimate “beneficial owners” of trusts and companies to […]