Highlights of the Week: Top Stories from IRS Criminal Investigation

In case you missed it, here are the top stories from the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) division for the week of November 6, 2023.

About CI and Its Role

The CI division of the IRS is responsible for conducting financial crime investigations. This includes tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft, and more. The special agents in CI are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. The agency boasts a federal conviction rate of over 90 percent. CI has 20 field offices across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad. Learn more about the CI division on IRS.gov/CI.

Week’s Top Stories

Digital-Asset Company Founders Charged in International Fraud Scheme

The founders and executives of a digital-asset company have been charged in a multimillion-dollar international fraud scheme. The defendants are accused of misleading investors and using the funds for personal gain, including the purchase of a custom Porsche sports car and real estate.

Results of J5 Challenge Announced by Chief Lee

Financial investigators from five countries and private sector partners have unveiled the results of the J5 Challenge. The cases uncovered involve high dollar amounts and have high impact. They span multiple jurisdictions and involve darknet marketplaces, child exploitation, and pig-butchering schemes.

Unified Stand Against Fentanyl Trafficking in San Francisco

Federal and state law enforcement officials, including the CI, have come together to fight the fentanyl epidemic. The initiative aims to collaborate, cooperate, and coordinate local responses to the crisis.

Bank Insider Charged with Facilitating Money Laundering

A bank insider has been charged with accepting bribes to facilitate millions of dollars of money laundering.

J5 Challenge’s Fifth Iteration Held in Canada

The fifth iteration of the J5 Challenge was held in Canada. This year’s challenge focused on data mining and financial reporting related to crypto-assets and technology-enabled financial threats.

Useful Resources

For more information on tax schemes, fraud alerts, and how to report suspected tax fraud, visit the CI division’s page on the IRS website. The page also provides resources on voluntary disclosure, CI newsroom, news releases, annual reports, and more.