DOJ Focusing on 'Facilitators' to Crack Down on Sanctions Evasion, Official Says

DOJ will look to further crack down on Russian sanctions evasion by zeroing in on overseas investment advisers, hedge funds, law firms and private equity managers that have so far evaded scrutiny, Andrew Adams, head of DOJ's Task Force KleptoCapture, told Bloomberg. KleptoCapture is the interagency group charged with enforcing U.S. sanctions on Russia.

“People who are sitting in banks where they don’t care about U.S. sanctions or money laundering or frankly fraud concerns, fit the bill when I say we are prioritizing facilitators,” Adams said. “Bankers, financial managers, investment advisers in some cases, people running offshore hedge funds or private equity shops, that sort of thing."

Adams said the department is looking outside the box, which typically includes "handing over a subpoena and hoping that people tell us the information." The task force head said the group, among other things, is running sting operations and relying on whistleblowers and search warrants.