Hello Wednesday!  It’s March 27, and we’re tracking today's top stories: How Trump moved money to pay $100M in legal bills, Treasury sanctions Hamas terror finance team, Munchables exploited for $62M, Jumbotron hacker and child abuser gets 220 years in prison, and much more...

In partnership with

Reduce your compliance workload with one-step screening, faster adjudication, and custom responses. Do better, with less.
See how!

Featured Story

🎯 How Trump Moved Money to Pay $100M in Legal Bills. Trump has averaged more than $90K a day in legal-related costs for more than three years – none of it paid for with his own money. NYT 

Top Stories

🌎 Treasury Sanctions Hamas Aligned Terrorist Fundraising Network. US and UK take coordinated actions against Hamas-linked fundraiser and its partners. U.S. Treasury

📌 Sanctions have become a tool of first resort. But enforcement needs upgraded and updated resources. Atlantic Council

🌎 Munchables Exploited for $62M, North Korea-Linked Exploiter Returns Private Keys to Web 3 Firm. The broader crypto community is calling for a controversial chain rollback in a bid to recover funds. CoinDesk

📌 Upholding North Korea Sanctions in the Age of Decentralized Finance RUSI

🌎 Jumbotron Hacker And Prolific Child Molester Sentenced To 220 Years In Federal Prison. Jacksonville Jaguars hired Thompson as a contractor in 2013 to consult on the design and installation of their new video board network. DOJ

🌎 Russia struggles to collect oil payments as China, UAE, Turkey raise bank scrutiny. Several banks have boosted their sanctions compliance requirements in recent weeks. Reuters

🌎 Crypto Exchange KuCoin Violated AML Laws. KuCoin lied to investors about operating in the U.S. and failed to both register with USG entities and maintain an AML program. CoinDesk

📌 Hackers Are Targeting Bitcoin Hot Wallets – Here's How Decrypt

🌎 SEC scores big win in lawsuit against crypto exchange Coinbase. A judge ruled that the SEC’s claim that the cryptocurrency exchange engaged in unregistered sales of securities could be heard by a jury at trial. CNBC

🌎 Feds seek two NY apartments worth $14M tied to former Mongolia leader in mining scheme. Batbold and his family used state-owned mining contracts to move money through shell companies to fund lavish lifestyles. CNBC

📌 U.S. progress in strengthening AML/CFT measures FATF

🌎 The standoff at Gate 36: Texas sends in the troops to block migrants from seeking asylum. The governor's aim is to prevent migrants from reaching the gate – part of the 30-foot high border wall built during the Trump presidency. LAT

🌎 What Diddy Court Document Photos Reveal. The suit shows multiple video stills with Diddy dancing with women whose faces are blacked out, but claims they are underage or sex workers. Newsweek

📌 Prince Harry Named in Blockbuster Diddy Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Daily Beast

🌎 Largest cocaine shipment of the year seized in Colombian Caribbean after high-speed boat chase. After a chase that spanned several miles, the boat — which was covering its cargo in a blue tarp — was finally intercepted. CBS

🌎 U.S., South Korea launch task force to thwart North Korean oil smuggling. The new Enhanced Disruption Task Force held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday in Washington. UPI

IN THE NEWS

China & Russia

🚩 More Chinese Companies to Be Added to U.S. Import Ban List WSJ

🚩 FTC investigating TikTok over privacy and security CNN

🚩 The Oil Weapon Against Moscow WSJ

🚩 UK Treasury staff worked at Chinese bank accused of communist links BBC

🚩 The True Direct Cost of Oil Sanctions on Russia’s Exports Bloomberg

--

Iran & Terror

💥 At Columbia, a Terror Group Teaches 'Palestinian Resistance 101’ Free Beacon

💥 Will Biden allow Hamas a ‘terrorist veto’? Hill

💥 U.S. sanctions facilitators of Iran's Quds-Force, proxy militias UPI

💥 Iran’s Censoring Tech Firm To Be Removed From EU Sanctions Iran International

💥 US says it doesn't support Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project going forward Reuters

Much more news at Illicit Edge!

--

Corruption & Financial Crime

💸 The Shocking Story Behind One Megadonor’s Support of RFK Jr. Daily Beast

💸 Texas AG Ken Paxton reaches deal to end securities fraud charges after 9 years Politico

💸 Qatari royal reportedly invested $50 million in pro-Trump news channel Newsmax CNBC

💸 EY drops appeal against German sanctions over Wirecard audits FT

💸 Ex-UBS Trader Tom Hayes Loses UK Appeal Over Libor Crimes Bloomberg

--

Crypto & Cyber

🔐 Project Ghostbusters: Facebook Accused of Using Your Phone to Wiretap Snapchat Gizmodo

🔐 Treasury Releases Report on Managing AI-Specific Cybersecurity Risks U.S. Treasury

🔐 Illicit Funds in Crypto Ecosystem Shrank 9% Last Year, Yet Criminals Still Handled Nearly $35B CoinDesk

🔐 Zero-days exploited in the wild jumped 50% in 2023, fueled by spyware vendors Record

Much more news at Illicit Edge!

Simplify AML, supercharge your team.
See how.

📩

Share Illicit Edge with friends!

They can subscribe here for free and never miss a story.