In Boston, Treasury Launches New Public-Private FinCEN Exchange Series to Fight Fentanyl Trafficking
FinCEN
PROTECT FinCEN Exchange sessions set to promote public-private collaboration against illicit financial activity tied to the opioid trade
BOSTON—Today, as part of the Treasury Department’s Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), in partnership with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), announced a new initiative to combat the illicit trafficking of fentanyl into the United States. The “Promoting Regional Outreach to Educate Communities on the Threat of Fentanyl” (or PROTECT) series of FinCEN Exchange sessions will be held through the remainder of 2024 in U.S. cities that are highly impacted by the opioid epidemic. The series is specifically designed to work with regional and local banks who are deeply connected to their communities and offer unique perspectives on the opioid crisis, and will focus on how law enforcement can best support their efforts to monitor activity that may be tied to the illicit trafficking of fentanyl. At these exchanges, federal officials brief on information critical to tracking these illicit financial flows, including typologies and red-flag indicators of fentanyl-related activity, and discuss what types of information are particularly valuable when financial institutions report suspicious activity.
Allport man pleads guilty to narcotics, firearms, and money laundering charges
IRS Criminal Investigation
Johnstown, PA — A resident of Allport, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics, firearms, and money laundering laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Alexis Brolin, Jr. pleaded guilty before United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson to Counts Two through Five of the Superseding Indictment.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around July 2019 to in and around April 2020 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Brolin conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Arizona Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns as Part of a Nationwide Abusive-Trust Tax Shelter Scheme
US Department of Justice
Defendant Filed Over 500 False Returns that Concealed More than $60M in Income from IRS
An Arizona man pleaded guilty on Friday to two counts of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for individuals who used an abusive-trust tax shelter to underreport their income and tax liabilities.