Paxful Co-founder to Spend 5 Years in Jail, Guilty of AML Violation
The post Paxful Co-founder to Spend 5 Years in Jail, Guilty of AML Violation appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Paxful co-founder and former CTO Artur Schaback has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy charges. The charges concern his inability to maintain a proper Anti-Money Laundering (AML) program. Schaback could be imprisoned for five years; the sentencing hearing is set for November 4. Paxful Co-Founder Pleads Guilty in AML Case The United States Justice Department disclosed that Schaback’s plea agreement involves paying a hefty fine. He agreed to pay a $5 million fine in three equal annual installments over the next two years, with the first installment of $1 million being made at the time of his pleading guilty. Schaback said there were inadequate anti-money laundering measures and know your customer (KYC). It was the case with the firm that began operations without these primary restraints, thus breaching the Bank Secrecy Act. Therefore, it was claimed that Paxful started being used for various criminal activities, including money laundering, fraud, and other unlawful businesses. Also, the Justice Department stated that Schaback and his co-conspirator mostly evaded the firm’s AML and KYC policies. They relied on the number of customers’ trades or personal connections to justify the exceptions, which only added to the regulatory loopholes. The two also had to struggle through claims of submitting a plagiarized AML policy when a third party demanded to review it. Roshan Dharia Named Paxful’s Interim CEO Controversies have also created a lot of commotion within Paxful’s management. Schaback filed a lawsuit against Mohamad (Ray) Youssef, the co-founder, in March 2023, culminating in a power struggle at the exchange. This lawsuit unveiled issues of embezzlement of funds, evasion of sanctions, and other matters. In the wake of the turmoil, the company named Roshan Dharia as the new interim CEO in May 2023. Dharia’s appointment is view as an effort to normalize the company and bring it…
Filed under: News - @ July 9, 2024 1:30 pm