U.S. Attorney Easley announces Illicit Finance Task Force to combat transnational money laundering

Date: Nov. 20, 2024

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Raleigh, NC - U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., announced efforts to combat transnational money laundering, including the creation of the Eastern District of North Carolina's Illicit Finance Task Force (IFTF). The IFTF is a groundbreaking multiagency task force constituted to disrupt, dismantle, or render ineffective organizations involved in laundering criminal proceeds from drug trafficking and other crimes. The task force targets third-party money launderers and money transmitting businesses utilizing cryptocurrency, money services, bulk cash, banking, and brokerages to run dirty money through the American financial system. The task force is led by the U.S. Attorney's Office with partners from various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

"Money talks," said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. "And we will follow every lead it gives us. Cartels and corrupt regimes around the world think they can dodge American jurisdiction while using our financial system to wash criminal proceeds. Our new Illicit Finance Task Force exists to take down the most prolific 'money movers,' seize criminal assets, and cripple the world's most crooked enterprises. We will vigorously protect the integrity of our banking system and deal a hard blow to any network running dirty money through our state."

Easley highlighted one of the first successful prosecutions led by his office. Wimel Isaac DaSilva of New York, NY, pled guilty for conspiring to operate an illegal money transmitting business and to making false statements and reports to financial institutions.

According to information presented in court, DaSilva owned and operated a Raleigh business that purported to provide consulting and software development services to its customers but instead served as a shell company that transmitted proceeds of drug trafficking and other criminal activity to South American accounts.

From 2019 to 2022, DaSilva opened accounts with at least eight banks and virtual currency exchanges (VCEs). Using these accounts, DaSilva received more than $40 million in cryptocurrency. After converting cryptocurrency to U.S. currency, the funds were rapidly transmitted to individuals and shell companies located outside of the United States.

Under the Bank Secrecy Act, financial institutions and VCEs that provide money transmission services must establish anti-money laundering (AML) programs that include, among other things, conducting due diligence on their customers, monitoring transactions for illicit activity, and reporting suspicious activity to FinCEN.

DaSilva sought to obstruct the AML functions of banks and VCEs by routinely making materially false and misleading statements regarding the nature of his business and the purpose of specific financial transactions. He also provided fabricated contracts and invoices in an attempt to backstop false statements about the source of funds and relationships with counterparties.

"We continue to find and close the pathways in illicit financial crimes with the support of our partner agencies," said Special Agent in Charge Donald "Trey" Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). "IRS-CI Special Agents are skilled at investigating all types of tax and related financial crimes and today's plea is a testament to their hard work and commitment."

"DaSilva's web of lies and schemes to conceal the laundering of illicit proceeds has been laid bare and he is being held accountable," said Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant who leads Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, covering North and South Carolina. "HSI is committed to protecting the integrity of the U.S. banking system from criminals and will continue to prioritize these investigations."

DaSilva's prosecution results from an investigation by the Eastern District of North Carolina's Illicit Finance Task Force (IFTF). Created in 2024 in partnership with the Treasury Executive Office of Asset Forfeiture (TEOAF), the IFTF is an interagency anti-money laundering task force comprised of prosecutors and agents. The IFTF is dedicated to combatting money laundering activities affecting North Carolina through strategic use of criminal and civil laws.

Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. The investigation is being conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan is prosecuting the case.

IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.