U.K., EU enforcement regimes set to escalate, but critics question sanctions’ effectiveness
With a new political regime ready to take over in the U.S., the effectiveness of sanctions against malign foreign actors like Russia, North Korea, and Iran have come into question. While the European Union and U.K. have increased sanctions pressure, critics have publicly asked: Is it enough?
German firm Aiotec to pay $14.5M to settle Iran sanctions violation
German petrochemical parts supplier Aiotec agreed to pay $14.5 million to settle allegations that it engaged in a four-year conspiracy to dismantle and ship a plastics manufacturing plant owned by a U.S. company to Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Top E&C fails of 2024: Boeing, TD Bank, RTX/Raytheon on compliance naughty list
The biggest Compliance Fails of 2024 show the real-world consequences of noncompliance for the companies that faltered, but also for their customers and their employees.
MetLife subsidiary fined $178K by OFAC for issuing premiums to Iran-controlled entities
A subsidiary of MetLife will pay more than $178,000 for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran when it provided insurance policies to entities in the United Arab Emirates owned or controlled by Iran.
DOJ proposes rule that would block sale of Americans’ personal data to Chinese, Russian firms
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed a new rule that would regulate the use of Americans’ personal information by foreign companies and foreign persons in six “countries of concern,” prohibiting and restricting the sale of data to thwart the use of data for cyber-enabled activities, espionage, coercion, influence and ...
Raytheon parent RTX settles false claims, defective pricing, Qatar FCPA violations for $950M
The other shoe finally dropped for Raytheon and parent company RTX, as two U.S. regulators announced nearly $1 billion in penalties to settle defective pricing in defense contracts, false claims related to inflated prices on government contracts, and bribes paid to government officials in Qatar that violated the FCPA.
Bybit appoints legal, compliance chief
Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit announced the appointment of Robert MacDonald as the new chief legal & compliance officer.
New U.K. enforcement body piles pressure on sanctions evaders
Global sanctions rules are increasing rapidly, as are tools to detect and punish those who break them. In response, the U.K. government is creating a new Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation to investigate and penalize those who break sanctions rules.
How lax compliance led three defense companies to give military secrets to U.S. adversaries
There are dozens of ways foreign countries can get their hands on U.S. military secrets, including cyberhacking, espionage, theft, and more. But one increasingly concerning way has been through unintentional disclosures by trusted defense contractors, including Boeing, 3D Systems Corp., and RTX Corp., parent company of Raytheon.
Raytheon parent to pay $200M in fines, remediation over export control violations
RTX Corp., the parent company of Raytheon, agreed to pay $200 million in fines and remediation to address hundreds of export control violations that led to the disclosure of sensitive military secrets.
AI can help reel in ‘unsustainable’ breach costs, IBM report finds
The global average cost of a data breach jumped to an all-time high for the second year in a row, but companies can reel in the ballooning drag on profits by adopting artificial intelligence, according to an IBM report.
OFAC sanctions entities providing electronic components for Iranian weapons
Five individuals and seven entities in Iran, China, and Hong Kong have been targeted for U.S. sanctions by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for helping to obtain components used in Iran’s missles and drones.
Raytheon parent reserves $1.24B over improper payments, export control violations
RTX Corp., the parent company of Raytheon, disclosed in a public filing it has reserved $1.24 billion to resolve legacy legal matters with the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Department of State.
Survey tackles aligning cross-generational views of ethics in the workplace
Companies may need to examine employees by age group to find out how likely some workers might be to ditch compliance to complete tasks.
FinCEN updates red flags to watch for in thwarting West Bank settler violence
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network updated an alert first issued in February warning financial institutions of Israeli extremists fomenting violence in the West Bank.
Q&A: Seaco general counsel, compliance head on environmental regulations
Dominic Buckwell, general counsel and compliance head at global marine container leasing company Seaco, discussed key themes including anti-money laundering, sanctions, and why the industry needs common environmental reporting standards.
FATF removes Jamaica, Türkiye from watchlist; adds Monaco, Venezuela
Jamaica and Türkiye made “significant progress” addressing deficiencies in their anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) programs, warranting their removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list.
OFAC sanctions nearly 50 entities for ‘shadow banking’ benefiting Iranian military
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned nearly 50 entities connected with so-called “shadow banking” networks that help Iran’s military evade U.S. sanctions and to sell the country’s oil and petrochemical products.
BIS’s Axelrod makes plea to financial services: ‘We want to work with you’
Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Bureau of Industry and Security, addressed efforts to reach financial services firms, working with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and more during his fireside chat at CW’s Financial Crimes Summit.
Panelists break down robust sanctions landscape at TPRM Summit
Sanctions compliance officers face myriad challenges as complex geopolitical situations heighten risks worldwide, experts discussed during Compliance Week’s Third-Party Risk Management & Oversight Summit.
Airbus U.S. unit dinged by BIS for antiboycott violations
Satellite communications company Airbus DS Government Solutions received a reduced penalty from the Bureau of Industry and Security for admitting self-disclosed violations of antiboycott regulations.
FinCEN warns financial institutions on Iran-backed terrorist organizations
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network advised financial institutions in detecting illicit transactions related to Iran-backed terrorist organizations.
OFAC fines SCG Chemicals unit $20M over Iran sanctions violations
A subsidiary of Thailand-based SCG Chemicals Co. agreed to pay a $20 million fine to the Office of Foreign Assets Control over “egregious” violations of sanctions against Iran.
OFAC sanctions Israeli entities funding West Bank settler violence
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two Israeli entities for establishing fundraising campaigns for extremists fomenting violence in the West Bank.
Treasury kicks off new wave of Iran sanctions
The Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Iran, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen promising “further actions in the days and weeks ahead” following the Middle East nation’s attack on Israel.
Ford to pay $365M in DOJ deal for evading customs tariffs
Ford Motor Co. agreed to pay $365 million to settle charges levied by the Department of Justice that the automaker purposefully dodged import duties for years by mislabeling and undervaluing hundreds of thousands of cargo vans it brought into the United States from Turkey.
OKX adds chief legal officer to Turkey board
OKX, a Web3 technology company and cryptocurrency exchange, announced Chief Legal Officer Mauricio Beugelmans was appointed as a member of the OKX Turkey board.
FATF adds Kenya, Namibia to AML/CFT watchlist; UAE, Uganda removed
Kenya was one of two African countries included in the Financial Action Task Force’s latest update to its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring for money laundering and terrorist financing, while the United Arab Emirates was among four countries removed.
Raytheon parent discloses indications of improper payments in Middle East
RTX Corp., parent company of aerospace and defense giant Raytheon, disclosed an internal investigation launched into potential improper payments in connection with contracts in the Middle East found indications of misconduct.
FinCEN alert flags Israeli extremists fomenting violence in West Bank
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an alert addressing the financing of Israeli extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Treasury cites Iraqi bank, owner over terrorist financing concerns
Al-Huda Bank faces severance from the U.S. financial system for being a conduit of terrorist financing, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, while its owner, Hamad al-Moussawi, was sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
SEC fines UAE-based Brooge Energy $5M in fraud case
Brooge Energy agreed to pay $5 million in a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission resolving fraud charges related to a scheme to inflate revenues.
Five compliance triumphs from 2023
A financial services giant’s compliance mea culpa that could serve to benefit the rest of the profession, a chemical company’s praised FCPA settlement, and an example of the value of whistleblowers highlight CW’s annual list of laudable ethics and compliance moments.
OFAC: Nasdaq to pay $4M over ex-subsidiary’s Iran sanctions lapses
Nasdaq agreed to pay more than $4 million as part of a settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control addressing apparent Iran sanctions violations at the stock exchange operator’s former Armenian subsidiary.
Pure Harvest names chief sustainability officer
Agribusiness Pure Harvest Smart Farms appointed Josef Schmidhuber as chief sustainability officer.
DaVinci Payments to pay $206K over OFAC sanctions lapses
DaVinci Payments, a financial services firm which manages prepaid reward card programs, agreed to pay approximately $206,000 as part of a settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control addressing alleged sanctions violations across four countries.
OFAC sanctions more investment entities linked to Hamas
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed a second round of sanctions on investment entities believed to be funding the terrorist organization Hamas.
FinCEN alert flags Hamas terrorist financing indicators
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an alert warning financial institutions to be vigilant toward identifying funding streams supporting Hamas in its attacks against Israel.
UAE joins pact with U.S. on cybersecurity cooperation
The United States and United Arab Emirates finalized an agreement to work together to safeguard the financial sector from cyberattacks.
Albemarle to pay $218M in FCPA settlements with DOJ, SEC
Chemical company Albemarle was assessed penalties totaling more than $218 million as part of settlements with the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission addressing alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act across a handful of foreign countries.
3M to pay $9.6M over Iran sanctions lapses
The Office of Foreign Assets Control ordered multinational conglomerate 3M to pay more than $9.6 million over apparent Iran sanctions violations by its subsidiary and a U.S. employee of a separate subsidiary.
Emigrant Bank to pay $32K in Iran sanctions case
New York-based Emigrant Bank agreed to pay nearly $32,000 as part of a settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control addressing apparent sanctions violations regarding an account it maintained for a pair of Iranian residents.
New OFAC sanctions expand clamps on Russia tech supply chain
The Office of Foreign Assets Control widened its area of focus to disrupt Russia’s technology supply chain with new sanctions announced against entities in Finland and Turkey.
FinCEN analysis: Trends in Russia export control evasion attempts
Analysis of suspicious activity reports by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network indicates nearly $1 billion in suspicious activity in cases of suspected evasion of Russia-related export controls.
Greek shipper fined $2.5M in Iranian oil smuggling case
Empire Navigation pleaded guilty to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by carrying nearly 1 million barrels of Iranian oil from the sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to another country.
Whistleblower goes above, beyond in Construction Specialties OFAC case
The impact of “see something, say something” was on display as part of Construction Specialties’ settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control for apparent Iran sanctions violations.
Construction Specialties to pay $660K in Iran sanctions case
Construction Specialties agreed to pay more than $660,000 in a settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control regarding three apparent sanctions violations in Iran carried out by “rogue employees” of its Middle Eastern affiliate.
Neogen discloses avoided OFAC fine in Iran sanctions probe
Neogen Corp. disclosed the Office of Foreign Assets Control concluded a probe into potential sanctions violations regarding transactions by the food and animal safety company with parties in Iran without issuing a fine.
Short seller accuses Freedom Holding Corp. of ‘brazen’ sanctions evasion
Freedom Holding Corp. was accused of “brazen sanctions evasion,” along with openly flouting anti-money laundering and know your customer regulations, as part of an investigative report published by short seller Hindenburg Research.
CCPA first state privacy law deemed adequate by Dubai financial hub
The Dubai International Financial Centre announced the California Consumer Privacy Act passes muster, allowing compliant California businesses to be the first permitted to transfer data with the DIFC without additional contractual measures.