Miami-based, gold refinery Republic Metals Corporation
(“RMC”) executed a non-prosecution agreement with the United States Attorney’s
Office for the Southern District of Florida (the “Office”) after cooperating in
an investigation focusing on money laundering and violations of the Bank
Secrecy Act in the gold importation and refining industry. Under the terms of the agreement, RMC agreed
to continue cooperating in the ongoing investigation, as well as to make
improvements in its anti-money laundering and compliance programs.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney, U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special
Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Miami Field Office,
Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office,
Carlos L. Mitchem, Regional Director, Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA-Peru), Southern Cone Region, and Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in
Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA-Miami), Homestead Field Office,
made the announcement.
RMC is the second U.S. gold refinery that has been
implicated in the Office’s investigation into the gold importation and refining
industry. Previously, Elemetal LLC,
doing business as “Elemetal” and “NTR Metals,” pled guilty to a single-count
information for failure to maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program
under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). (U.S. v. Elemetal LLC, Case No. 18-cr-20173). The investigation into the gold importation
and refining industry remains ongoing.
U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan stated, “We commend
Republic Metals Corporation for cooperating in this investigation and agreeing
to strengthen their anti-money laundering and compliance program after
deficiencies had been discovered. This Office’s investigation into the gold
importation and refining industry will continue and the resolution with
Republic Metals Corporation, as well as the guilty plea of NTR, should place
others on notice that there are benefits to cooperating and there are grave
consequences for those who engage in money laundering or fail in their legal
requirement to prevent it.”
These cases are the result of the ongoing efforts by the
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) “Operation Arch Stanton”,
a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The
OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high level members of
drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and
unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative
efforts of FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, and DEA-Peru and DEA-Homestead. This case is being prosecuted by International
Narcotics and Money Laundering Section Assistant U.S. Attorneys Walter M.
Norkin and Brian Shack. Southern
District of Florida Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Rosen is handling the
asset forfeiture aspects of this matter.
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