FOIA Files has released a new installment based on 18,000 emails obtained from Jeffrey Epstein’s personal Yahoo account. This investigation revealed details about a money laundering investigation that ran concurrently with the federal sex crimes probe, a matter largely kept secret for nearly twenty years. Key findings of the investigation will be discussed on the podcast “Disclosure.” Notably, the Department of Justice and FBI previously declined to release any portion of the extensive “Epstein files” due to concerns of inappropriateness.
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Federal agents arrested David Taylor and Michelle Brannon on Wednesday in connection with a multi-million dollar conspiracy. As leaders of the Kingdom of God Global Church, the pair allegedly forced workers to be personal servants while using donations to fund a lavish lifestyle. The church is said to have received around $50 million in donations through call centers, which Taylor and Brannon allegedly used to purchase luxury properties and vehicles. Facing charges of forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, Taylor and Brannon could each face up to 20 years in prison.
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A sweeping federal indictment has been unsealed against five individuals, including current and former Louisiana law enforcement officers, alleging their involvement in a years-long scheme to exploit the U.S. immigration system. The charges, part of “Operation Take Back America,” include conspiracy, bribery, and immigration fraud, as the defendants are accused of fraudulently obtaining hundreds of U-Visas. Businessman Chandrakant Patel is alleged to have orchestrated the scheme by collecting payments from foreign nationals and coordinating with law enforcement officers to create false police reports. These false reports, detailing fabricated armed robberies, allowed foreign nationals and their families to remain in the United States under false pretenses, while the conspirators laundered money earned through the scheme.
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Myrtle Beach Safari owner, Doc Antle, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for conspiracy to launder money and violate the Lacey Act. The court ordered Antle to pay a $55,000 fine, serve three years of supervised release, and forfeit three chimpanzees along with over $197,000. Antle, who pleaded guilty in November 2023, was found to have been involved in illegal chimpanzee trade and money laundering activities. This sentence is in addition to a Virginia state court conviction.
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A ProPublica investigation, based on a U.S. government inquiry, alleges that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s administration made a secret pact with MS-13 gang leaders. This deal allegedly involved blocking extraditions of gang leaders, persecuting law enforcement officials, and potentially diverting U.S. aid funds to the gang in exchange for political support and reduced homicide rates. The investigation implicated Bukele and other senior officials in money laundering related to these activities. This alleged deal follows a history of similar, though smaller-scale, pacts between Salvadoran governments and gangs, highlighting a complex relationship between the two.
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Doc Antle, of Myrtle Beach Safari, will be sentenced on June 10th in Charleston for pleading guilty to conspiracy charges violating the Lacey Act and money laundering. His crimes involved illegally trafficking endangered animals, including cheetahs, lion cubs, tigers, and a chimpanzee, falsifying records to conceal the transactions. Antle used his non-profit to disguise payments and laundered money obtained from allegedly assisting undocumented immigrants. He faces a maximum of five years imprisonment per charge, along with substantial fines and supervised release.
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Malta’s controversial “golden passport” program, allowing citizenship for investment, has granted passports to at least seven individuals subsequently sanctioned by the US, EU, or Ukraine for their ties to Russia’s war. This includes sanctioned Russian businessman Albert Avdolyan, who obtained citizenship in 2015. While at least one passport has been revoked following a criminal conviction, the program’s continued operation has prompted the European Commission to file a lawsuit against Malta, arguing it undermines the integrity of EU citizenship. The court ruling is pending.
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A recent FinCEN report details how the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels launder billions of dollars through U.S. casinos and other financial institutions, primarily using proceeds from fentanyl trafficking. Nearly 1,300 suspicious activity reports were filed in 2024, with a significant portion involving depository institutions and money services businesses. The cartels utilize various methods, including wire transfers, cash smuggling, and complex international trade schemes involving Chinese businesses to obscure the origins of their illicit funds. These schemes often leverage front companies, money mules, and U.S.-based intermediaries to facilitate the laundering process.
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President Trump pardoned Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Samuel Reed, and Gregory Dwyer, former executives of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX. The pardons follow guilty pleas to violating the Bank Secrecy Act due to the lack of anti-money laundering and know-your-customer programs. Sentences included probation and substantial fines totaling $30 million in civil penalties and a $100 million fine for BitMEX. Delo stated the charges were unwarranted and that the pardon vindicates their position.
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In early 2022, Raiffeisen Bank International, Brink’s, and Bank of America facilitated the transfer of over $12 billion in cash to Russia before the Ukraine invasion. The majority of this currency, primarily USD, EUR, and CHF, was delivered to the sanctioned Russian company TBSS, with RBI handling the lion’s share. This influx, peaking in the weeks before the invasion, significantly exceeded previous years’ averages and occurred amidst escalating geopolitical tensions and anticipated sanctions. While no laws were broken at the time of transfer, the timing raises concerns given subsequent export bans and the widespread awareness of impending conflict.
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John Q. Hosedrinker