Designated with Yaya Jata Fanusie

In October, TD Bank pled guilty to money laundering and violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, incurring $3.1 billion dollars in penalties, putting the general public at risk, and shattering the trust of its own customers - joining a past roster of scandals involving many of the biggest banks in the U.S. But how exactly did a bank, trusted by millions, known as “the nation’s most convenient bank,” become an enabler of fraud and what can we do to end this trend of impropriety and prevent the next banking scandal? On this episode of Designated, host Yaya Jata Fanusie speaks with veteran banking executive and financial crime fighter, Jim Richards, for a deep dive into the questionable banking practices at TD Bank and how best to keep dirty money out of the financial system.

Beginning in 2011, the Silk Road was the place to go online for any number of illegal drugs and contraband or other illicit items. And as long as a buyer had some of this new digital currency called Bitcoin to spend, they could find whatever they wanted for purchase. This illicit activity on the Silk Road really put crypto on the map…. especially for law enforcement. But by 2013, the Silk Road was shut down as part of an intense federal investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Key to the disruption of the Silk Road was an undercover special agent with the Department of Homeland Security. Jared Der-Yeghiayan’s story is not well-known or publicized. But he spoke with Designated host Yaya Jata Fanusie and explained what happened behind the scenes of the Silk Road and how he and a team of his fellow agents were able to gather evidence and conduct a raid that brought down the creator of the site, Ross Ulbricht, who is now serving two life sentences in a federal penitentiary.

Have you ever gotten one of those text messages, out of nowhere, from a number you don’t know, from someone thinking you’re someone else? These messages might be the digital bait in a global phishing operation designed to hook unsuspecting victims to eventually give up all the money they have to criminals half a world away. These scams may start with a text message. They could begin with a conversation on a dating app. But the scammers on the other side know how to reel people in and take them to the financial slaughterhouse. This type of scam is called “pig butchering.” Erin West is a Deputy District Attorney for Santa Clara County, California, and a central figure in the fight to combat “pig butchering.” She spoke with Designated host, Yaya Jata Fanusie, to help understand how “pig butchering” scams work and the steps we can take to keep from becoming a victim.

In Part 2 of the debut episode of "Designated," host Yaya Jata Fanusie shines a light on Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS agent turned Binance executive who has been unjustly imprisoned in Nigeria for over seven months. Featuring conversations with former IRS Chief of Investigations, Richard Weber who served as Chief while Tigran was a Special Agent, Tigran’s former fellow Agent and friend, Matthew Price and Chief Compliance Officer at Binance, Noah Perlman, the episode seeks to uncover the truth and advocate for his release.

In the debut episode of "Designated," host Yaya Jata Fanuise discusses Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS agent, turned Binance executive unjustly imprisoned in Nigeria for over seven months. Featuring conversations with his wife, Yuki, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) and Wired’s Andy Greenberg, the episode seeks to uncover the truth and advocate for his release.