教授，博士生導(dǎo)師。復(fù)旦大學(xué)中國反洗錢研究中心首任主任，復(fù)旦大學(xué)俄...
復(fù)旦大學(xué)國際金融學(xué)院教授，中國反洗錢研究中心執(zhí)行主任，陸家嘴金...
復(fù)旦大學(xué)法學(xué)院教授、博士生導(dǎo)師；復(fù)旦大學(xué)國際刑法研究中心主任。...
華東政法大學(xué)刑法學(xué)教授，復(fù)旦大學(xué)中國反洗錢研究中心特聘研究員，荷...
安永金融服務(wù)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)管理、咨詢總監(jiān)，曾任螞蟻金服反洗錢總監(jiān)，復(fù)旦大學(xué)...
周錦賢先生，香港人，廣州暨南大學(xué)法律學(xué)士，復(fù)旦大學(xué)中國反洗錢研究中...
高級經(jīng)濟(jì)師，復(fù)旦大學(xué)金融學(xué)博士，復(fù)旦大學(xué)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)博士后。現(xiàn)供職于中...
武漢中南財(cái)經(jīng)政法大學(xué)信息安全學(xué)院教授。長期專注于反洗錢/反恐...
生辰：1977.7.26 籍貫：遼寧撫順 民族：漢 黨派：九三學(xué)社 職稱：教授 研究...
祝亞雄，1974年生，浙江衢州人。浙江師范大學(xué)經(jīng)濟(jì)與管理學(xué)院副教授，博...
復(fù)旦大學(xué)中國反洗錢研究中心特聘研究員；現(xiàn)任安永管理咨詢服務(wù)合伙...
工作履歷：曾在國家審計(jì)署從事審計(jì)工作，是國家第一批政府審計(jì)師；曾在...
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged Maximiliano Pilipis, a former exchange operator, with money laundering in Silk Road, a popular darknet marketplace. Federal prosecutors accused Pilipis of managing AurumXchange from 2009 to 2013 without a license to process payments, including money reportedly connected to Silk Road sales.
Silk Road Links and Alleged Evasion of Federal Regulations
Prosecutors assert that Pilipis, 53, facilitated over $30 million in transactions through his platform, AurumXchange, including a reported 10,000 Bitcoin—valued at approximately $1.2 million at the time of the transactions.
The DOJ's statement claims that Pilipis failed to register AurumXchange with the U.S. Treasury Department, thereby bypassing regulations established for anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) compliance. Authorities allege that Pilipis also neglected to implement standard Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, critical measures to prevent criminal activity through financial channels.
AurumXchange operated from 2011 to 2013, when Silk Road was most active, until its closure. Ross Ulbricht created the Silk Road with the primary aim of creating a black market on the dark net, which had been associated with selling illegal commodities, particularly narcotics. The DOJ indicates that transactions flowing through AurumXchange included funds traced back to accounts connected with Silk Road, connecting Pilipis’s exchange to the darknet’s activities.
Asset Concealment and Real Estate Purchases After Closure
Following the closure of AurumXchange, the DOJ alleges that Pilipis took measures to conceal his financial gains, moving cryptocurrency assets through various accounts. Court filings claim he transferred Bitcoin into U.S. dollars and used these funds for substantial real estate investments in Indiana, purchasing properties in Arcadia and Noblesville.
Additionally, the DOJ claims that Pilipis generated considerable income in the years following AurumXchange’s closure, particularly in 2019 and 2020. However, despite these earnings, he allegedly failed to file tax returns, a further basis for the charges now filed against him. The federal grand jury has arraigned Pilipis for money laundering on five occasions and willful failure to file tax returns on two occasions. If convicted, Pilipis may face a jail term of up to 10 years and fines not exceeding $250,000.
Supreme Court Denies Hearing on Silk Road’s Seized Bitcoin
This case is the latest in a series of legal actions connected to Silk Road, an issue the Supreme Court recently addressed indirectly. Earlier in October, the Supreme Court declined to review a case involving 69,370 Bitcoin—worth an estimated $4.38 billion—seized from Silk Road.
Battle Born Investments, a private entity claiming ownership of the Bitcoin, sought a court review to obtain the assets, arguing that it acquired rights to the Bitcoin via a bankruptcy estate. However, the Supreme Court’s refusal leaves the government’s control over the cryptocurrency unchallenged, opening the path for future sales of the seized Bitcoin.