A former employee of Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) at a branch in New Jersey has been charged with money laundering and accepting bribes, as part of a broader investigation into drug-trafficking proceeds being moved from the United States to Colombia. The charges were outlined in a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Oscar Nunez-Flores, the accused former employee, allegedly engaged in illicit activities since early 2022. He is charged with conspiracy to launder money and accepting bribes as a bank employee.
These allegations are currently unproven in court. TD Bank, in response, stated that it has cooperated fully with law enforcement and confirmed the termination of the employee in question. The case has brought to light potential vulnerabilities in TD’s anti-money laundering controls, as the bank, Canada’s second-largest lender, faces possible penalties from an ongoing U.S. investigation into its practices. This investigation has already impacted the bank’s business decisions, including the terminated acquisition of Tennessee-based First Horizon Bank. Capitol Forum reported that TD executives were aware of the U.S. anti-money laundering probe well before publicly disclosing it, an allegation that has not been independently confirmed.
The investigation’s details remain undisclosed, but speculation suggests that the issues could be significant, given their impact on major business transactions. The charges against Nunez-Flores involve him allegedly accepting bribes to facilitate transactions for shell companies, which are often used in financial crime to obscure true ownership and launder money. Court documents claim that Nunez-Flores enabled the laundering of millions of dollars through ATM withdrawals in Colombia, using accounts and debit cards linked to these companies. The U.S. government has been intensifying efforts to crack down on the misuse of shell companies for criminal activities.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, part of the U.S. Treasury Department, has established a corporate registry to identify the real owners of private companies. The case against the former TD employee highlights broader U.S. efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime, with a particular focus on links to Latin American countries such as Colombia. Analysts have estimated that the penalty for TD related to the U.S. Department of Justice investigation could range from $500 million to $1 billion, depending on the severity of the infractions. This comes as financial institutions globally face increasing scrutiny and regulatory pressure to strengthen their anti-money laundering measures.
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