Epoch Times CFO charged in $67M money laundering scheme
By 
Aaron Nicodemus2024-06-04T18:40:00
The chief financial officer of the Epoch Times was charged with laundering at least $67 million in illegally obtained funds to bolster the fortunes of the newspaper and himself.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Weidong Guan, also known as Bill Guan, with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and two counts of bank fraud in an indictment unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The Epoch Times is a right-leaning newspaper affiliated with Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China. The DOJ said the charges against Guan “do not relate to the media company’s newsgathering activities.” The agency did not name the Epoch Times as Guan’s employer, but the connection was acknowledged by the company in an online statement.
THIS IS MEMBERS-ONLY CONTENT
You are not logged in and do not have access to members-only content.
If you are already a registered user or a member, SIGN IN now.
Related articles
-
News BriefHF Foods to pay $3.9M to settle execs’ alleged fraud
Food service distributor HF Foods Group agreed to pay a $3.9 million penalty as part of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding alleged fraudulent conduct carried out by its former chief executive officer and former chief financial officer.
-
News BriefTD Bank risk chief laments ‘procedural weaknesses’ in U.S. AML program
TD Bank Chief Risk Officer Ajai Bambawale said “procedural weaknesses” in the institution’s U.S. anti-money laundering program allowed bad actors to exploit its network.
-
News BriefSkyCity Entertainment bracing for nearly $50M in AML penalties
Australian gaming company SkyCity Entertainment Group faces nearly $50 million in penalties for admitted breaches of anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism obligations in Australia and New Zealand.
More from Regulatory Enforcement
-
ArticleU.K. regulators move to curb AI nudification tools as scrutiny of Grok grows
The U.K. government’s spat with Big Tech owner Elon Musk over the more risque capabilities of X’s AI assistant Grok has exposed more cracks than the chatbot was ever meant to.
-
ArticleFTC files contempt against credit card processor Cliq for alleged ongoing compliance failures
The Federal Trade Commission asked a court to hold the payment processor Cliq in contempt for allegedly “flagrantly” violating a 2015 order that the company monitor transactions for illegal charges and activity.
-
ArticleSEC drops all charges against former Rio Tinto CFO related to coal valuation
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dropped its case against Rio Tinto’s former chief financial officer, who has battled charges for eight years.