COVID, Crypto, and Kleptocrats Current Justice Department Enforcement Initiatives

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently signaled a renewed focus on enforcement, and its priorities are being driven by world events.

• In the past few months, the DOJ has announced new task forces and more resources to combat fraud in connection with COVID-19 relief, criminal activity related to cryptocurrency, and sanctions violations by Russian entities and individuals linked to the Putin regime.
• These initiatives signal an uptick in criminal enforcement in the coming months, especially in the areas involving fraud, digital assets, sanctions, and money laundering.

This C&G client alert summarizes some of the recently announced initiatives, which shed light on the likely future enforcement priorities.