According to a statement by the US Department of Justice, BitMEX co-founders Arthur Hayes and Benjamin Delo pleaded guilty to violating the US Bank Secrecy Act.
In the fall of 2020, Hayes, Delo, co-founder Samuel Reed and BitMEX head of business development Greg Dwyer were accused of evading US anti-money laundering requirements. The department stated that Hayes and Delo violated the Bank Secrecy Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years. The statement included the following statements:
“Under the terms of the respective plea bargains, Hayes and Delo each agreed to pay a criminal fine of $10 million representing the monetary gains from the crime.”
A spokesperson for Hayes told The Block:
“Hayes accepts responsibility for his actions and looks forward to the time he will put this matter behind him.”
Delo’s spokesperson said in a statement on the subject:
“Delo resolved the Bank Secrecy Act allegations through a negotiated settlement with the US Department of Justice. He is upset that BitMEX, the cryptocurrency derivatives platform he co-founded, does not have an adequate customer identification program. Delo showed up voluntarily. With BitMEX’s agreement with the CFTC and FinCEN last year, all financial proceeds from US operations were paid to US authorities. This puts emphasis on the subject. Delo looks forward to focusing on the subject. She dedicates time and energy to the philanthropy this deal has allowed her to do, and is grateful to her friends and family for their continued support. I will not comment further at this time.”
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