Epoch Times executive arrested over alleged $67m money laundering scheme
Al Jazeera
Weidong Guan is accused of involvement in ‘sprawling’ scheme to launder money to benefit himself and the right-wing outlet.
A top executive at the Epoch Times, a New York-based conservative media outlet known for its fierce criticism of the Chinese government, has been arrested over his alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme.
Weidong “Bill” Guan, the outlet’s chief financial officer, is alleged to have participated in a “sprawling, transnational scheme” to launder at least $67m in illegally obtained funds to benefit himself and the company, the United States Department of Justice said on Monday.
Under the management of Guan, members of the company’s “Make Money Online” team used cryptocurrency to buy tens of millions of dollars in crime proceeds, including fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits that were loaded onto prepaid debit cards, the DOJ said.
Employees then used stolen personal information to open bank and cryptocurrency accounts for transferring the illicit proceeds, which were further laundered through other bank accounts held by the Epoch Times and Guan, according to federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the charges are not related to the Epoch Times’s news-gathering activities.
Despite unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, skies, MEA and other airlines are still flying. Here’s how, and why.
Human rights group Viasna reports 1,275 political prisoners still jailed and face harsh conditions.
The Department of Justice said Google had ‘deprived rivals’ of opportunities to expand their search engine market share.
Matt Gaetz has faced allegations of sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl, drug use, and misappropriating campaign funds.
British luxury automaker’s advertising campaign features models of varying ages, genders and races – but no cars.
After Ukraine strikes Russian territory with US missiles, what’s next?
Al Jazeera looks back at the most devastating period in Laos’s history, when the US waged a years-long ‘Secret War’ in the Southeast Asian country.
These were the key developments on the 1,001st day of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump allies say they will ‘liberate individuals and businesses from illicit regulations never passed by Congress’.
