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In early 2012, FinCEN conducted outreach to all of its state and local law enforcement partners, and asked for cases where FinCEN data played a useful role in their investigations. Below, in their own words, is an example of how FinCEN's stakeholders use FinCEN data. It has been edited only for…

In a case initiated based on the filing of a Suspicious Activity Report, a former investment officer for a bank was sentenced to two years in prison and three years supervised release and was ordered to make restitution of almost half a million dollars. He pled guilty to embezzlement by a bank…

In the course of an investigation into possible terrorist activities, investigators uncovered a SAR that provided detailed information concerning suspect check cashing activity by the operators of a convenience store. The filing bank’s audit found that the business was cashing checks to disguise…

Federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies conducted a securities fraud investigation where defrauded investors lost at least $32 million. Investors believed they were investing in coal mines and a huge and highly secretive gold transaction. Three individuals were convicted of running the…

In May 2003, two individuals pled guilty to first-degree money laundering charges. One defendant was sentenced to 12 years incarceration, and ordered to pay $500,000 to the Anti-Money Laundering Profiteering Fund. The second defendant was sentenced to 18 years incarceration. A month earlier, in a…

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has a case that involves multiple illegal activities taking place in a number of liquor stores. Violations include the sale of stolen firearms by a non-licensee, money laundering, contraband cigarette trafficking, violations of state…

In 2003, an insurance executive pled no contest and was found guilty on a single count of aggravated theft. The defendant admitted misappropriating money that was intended to pay medical claims for the local government’s self-insured health benefits plan. Acting as the health insurance agent for…

A state law enforcement agency opened an investigation against an individual for fraudulent activity related to real estate sales in Mexico. In the course of the investigation, an agent requested records filed under the BSA. Several BSA records related to the individual indicated financial activity…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of David Middleton for attempting to evade or defeat income tax in violation of 26 U.S.C. 7201. The case arose from a SAR filed by a bank employee. Middleton was a real estate agent who formed several companies through which he…

Case summary: Two individuals, who frequented a tribal casino, operated a local escort service and conducted a prostitution business at the casino. Defendant A was often in the company of young females who would meet and then leave with males from the casino for short periods. Upon return to the…