Saturday, October 18, 2025
Friday, October 17, 2025
Verdict of $20M against BNP Paribas for Sudan Genocide Role so Banking on Dictators Coming
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 17 – BNP Paribas was sued, and raised as part of its defense the laws of Switzerland and of Sudan.
On November 5, 2020 U.S. then-District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Alison J. Nathan held an oral argument. Inner City Press covered it.
The case involves BNP violating Sudan sanctions, and the mass killing of civilians in Darfur and elsewhere by the then Omar al Bashir government, for which BNP claims to bear no responsibility.
Jump cut to September 16, 2025, when Inner City Press covers the trial as a former compliance officer was asked about blocked transactions resubmitted without the word Sudan and passing; and a CNN journalist testified about El Fasher, where Inner City Press reported on UN corruption until it was (and still is) banned.
On September 18, the plaintiffs' witness was a refugee from Sudan
"As a Sudanese judge, I was supposed to have immunity. Plaintiffs' lawyer: Where did they take you? Witness: To Wau. To the headquarters. They started beating me (sobs)
On September 22, an expert formerly at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York testified over multiple objections that BNP did $10 billion of unauthorized transactions with Sudan.
On October 1, BNP's lawyers argued their Rule 5 motions, emphasizing violence and harm in Sudan as unrelated to oil revenue and their sanctions violations; Inner City Press live tweeted here.
On October 16 the closings, in which BNP's lawyer said among other things that BNP thought things were getting better in Sudan because the UN was there, and the IMF. Thread.
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
On October 17, the verdict:
2:15 pm Deputy: Have plaintiffs proved BNP is liable?
Foreperson: Yes
Deputy: How much to Turjuman Ramadan Adam? Foreperson: $6.75 million
Deputy: And to first plaintiff? Foreperson: $7.3 million Deputy: And second? Foreperson: $6.7 million
[Plus Turjuman's $6.75 = $20,750,000 that BNP owes - but they will move for "judgment as a matter of law - a UN-like impunity move.]
"Banking on Dictators" book coming...
Inner City Press will continue to cover the trial- and the country.
The case is Kashef et al v. BNP Paribas SA et al., 1:16-cv-3228 (Hellerstein)
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In Trial for Taking $25M from Ethereum Sandwich Bots Chen Tells of Peraire Bueno Job
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 17 – James Peraire-Bueno was indicted for "conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged novel scheme by the defendants to exploit the very integrity of the Ethereum blockchain to fraudulently obtain approximately $25 million worth of cryptocurrency within approximately 12 seconds."
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here.
On October 14, Inner City Press live tweeted jury selection, here.
Late on October 14, the defendants opposed Miller: Filing on Patreon here
On October 15, Inner City Press live tweeted the opening arguments - and then Miller as first witness, quickly into the weeds of headers and validators. Thread. Will it work for this jury?
Just before 8 pm, the defense filed seeking to "preclude testimony by the government’s cooperating witness, Travis Chen who repeatedly told the government that he did not think that the alleged Exploit was illegal or even wrongful at the time it occurred. The government indicates that Mr. Chen now expresses the view that his assumptions “in hindsight are wrong,” and that he would now “acknowledge that [the] unblinding aspect of Omakase was misleading and taking advantage of Sandwichers.” Filing on Patreon here
On October 17 Chen took the stand, saying that in Medeira, Portugal he was told not to discuss Omakase with anyone outside the group. Thread. He is expected on the stand, for cross, all day Monday.
Analysis and more on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
Inner City Press is covering this trial.
The case is USA v. Peraire-Bueno, et al., 1:24-cr-293 (Clarke)
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La Luz del Mundo Church Leader in SDNY for Sadistic Abuse Videos Now a Co-D Also Denies
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 16 – Back on September 10, DOJ charged NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA and others with "sexual, financial, and related criminal conduct victimizing members of the La Luz del Mundo Church over many years... to facilitate the systemic sexual abuse of children and women—including the creation of photos and videos of sadistic child sexual abuse."
Garcia was taken into Federal custody in California and transported to New York on September 18. On September 23, with two California-based lawyers next to him, Garcia was brought before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Loretta A. Preska. Inner City Press was there, from thread:
Judge Preska: What is the status of discovery?
AUSA: We got warrants in California, and seized electronics.
Judge: Mr. Garcia, we will next see you here on December 15
[Judge Preska also handed Giuffre v Ghislaine Maxwell]
On October 10 the US Attorney's Office proposed a protective order beyond what Naason Joaquin Garcia would agree to, letter on Patreon here
On October 15, a co-defendant pled not guilty: "Arraignment as to Eva Garcia De Joaquin (4) Count 1,2 held on 10/16/2025. The defendant is presented and arraigned on the indictment and enters a plea of not guilty. Next conference scheduled for December 15, 2025 at 1:00 pm. "
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
The case is USA v. Garcia, et al., 25-cr-370 (Preska)
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On Fifth Third Bid for Comerica Challenged on CRA Fed For 1st Time Denies FOIA Expedition
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY/SOUTH BRONX, Oct 16 – As US bank regulators loosen rules - including the FDIC moving to eliminate public comment altogether on branch expansion applications - now more big banks are moving to get bigger.
On October 6, amid the pending PNC - FirstBank and Pinnacle - Synovus proposals, Fifth Third announced it will apply to buy damaged Comerica Bank. On October 8-9, it was opposed, to the Fed and OCC.
Inner City Press submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Fed, the same it has used on other mergers, always resulting in expedited treatment.
But on October 16, the Fed for the first time denied expedited treatment on Fifth Third - Comerica and Direct Express. Inner City Press has appealed, asking that the Governors answer: what changed?
Inner City Press has also FOIA-ed all records behind the change in policy, again requesting expedited treatment. Race to the bottom at the Fed...
Fair Finance Watch filed:
Dear FRB Chair Powell, Comptroller Gould:
This is an early first comment on, the proposal and applications by Fifth Third to acquire Comerica. Beyond the lending disparities preliminarily identified below, the US government's Direct Express payment program was removed from Comerica, part of its weakening, and given to Fifth Third, which now applies to acquire Comerica. Public hearings are needed, and hereby required.
Fair Finance Watch has long been concerned about Fifth Third. Fair Finance Watch has reviewed the just-released 2024 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data of Fifth Third, not reviewed in any Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluation.
In state after state, Fifth Third for African Americans has (many) more denials than originations, while the opposite is true for white borrows. The pattern is striking, starting with two states Fifth Third and Comerica overlap in:
In Michigan, the state Comerica abandoned for Texas, Fifth Third in 2024 denied 249 applications from African Americans while making fewer, only 177loans - while it made fully 4189 loans to whites and denied only 1688 applications. This is disparate [there are more states]
From the many complaints against Fifth Third, there's a major one by the CFPB itself...
Inner City Press, which has opposed the FDIC's moves to close itself to public scrutiny - American Banker op-ed here - has now submitted FOIA requests on all this. The FDIC said it will eliminate public notices because it does not receive enough public comments. That is changing, starting now. Watch this site.
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For Enabling Jeffrey Epstein Bank of America and Bank of New York Are Sued in SDNY
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 15 – J.P. Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank were sued for their enabling of Jeffrey Epstein, in lawsuits filed on Thanksgiving 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where Inner City Press found them in the docket.
The JPM Chase complaint is on Patreon, here.
Judge Rakoff signed off an another letter rogatory to Barclays Bank, for its communications with the UK Financial Conduct Authority about Jes Staley and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein including, reportedly, 1200 emails between the two.
On November 29, the Doe v. bank(s) cases were assigned to SDNY Judge Jed S. Rakoff, as "related" to a previous case against Deutsche Bank he has. Both had a proceeding that Inner City Press covered.
In the courtroom along with David Boies, Bradley Edwards, Sigrid McCawley et al was former SDNY prosecutor Robert Boone (Inner City Press covered him in the Michael Avenatti - Stormy Daniels criminal case), now representing JPMorgan Chase.
Deutsche Bank complaint on Patreon here
Maximum Maxwell book here.
On October 15, 2025, amid a push in Congress to fully release the so-called Epstein files, similar lawsuits were filed in SDNY against Bank of America and The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, 1:25-cv-8525 (Unassigned)
It is Doe v. Bank of America, 1:25-cv-8520 (Unassigned)
Meanwhile, the UN has yet to answer Inner City Press on why SG Antonio Guterres maintained a rep on the board of Ghislaine Maxwell's Terramar Project (instead bannign the Press); Norway won't answer on its AMbasador Mona Juul and Terje Roed Larsen taking $130,000 personal loan from Epstein.
The JPMC case is Doe 1 v. JP Morgan Chase & Co., 22-cv-10019 (Rakoff)
Watch this site.
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TowneBank Challenged Application to FDIC to Buy Dogwood Has Names of Exhibits Redacted
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SOUTH BRONX/SDNY, Oct 15 – Amid the FDIC's bid to eliminate public notice of and public comment on branch applications, TowneBank has applied to the FDIC to acquire a bank in North Carolina, Dogwood Bank, for $476 million.
Fair Finance Watch, which has commented to the FDIC that its proposal to eliminate public notice of branch applications due to lack of comments violates the CRA, has now commented to the FDIC:
This is a timely first comment opposing and requesting an extension of the FDIC's public comment period on the Application by TowneBank to acquire Dogwood State Bank. The application is on the FDIC's website where a public comment period running through November 30, 2025 (11/30) is listed (screenshot submitted to the FDIC via form and available on request). These comment, and supplements to come, are timely.
Update: On October 15, the FDIC finally provided Inner City Press some of the application - absurdly, with even the names of "Confidential" Exhibits blacked out. Inner City Press has immediately challenged it under FOIA, noting the connection with the comment period (which must be extended). Watch this site.
Fair Finance Watch, which has commented to the FDIC that its proposal to eliminate public notice of branch applications violates the CRA, has compared TowneBank's lending record in North Carolina in 2023 to 2024. It has gotten worse and more disparate. In 2023 in North Carolina, TowneBank made 80 loans to African Americans while denying 10 applications from African Americans. In 2024 it made fewer loans to African Americans - 77 - while denying more: 13. Now it wants to expand there. At the earliest possible time, FFW is opposing this. We will be submitting more comments before the stated November 30 expiration of the comment period.
FFW notes in the FDIC's pending proposal RIN 3064-AG10: "the FDIC has received a limited number of public comments in response to subpart C applications.... Therefore, the FDIC is proposing to eliminate the public notice and related public comment period from subpart C and to make conforming changes to subpart A of 12 CFR part 303 of the FDIC Rules."
See, e.g., Sept 10, 2025: https://www.americanbanker.com/opinion/the-fdic-is-undercutting-a-key-element-of-the-cra
But now the Federal regulator(s) blithely propose(s) to eliminate public notice and public comment on banks' proposals to expand. The above-quoted reasoning is that few comments are filed. So, that is now changing.
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OCC Rubberstamps Erebor Before FOIA Docs As It Prepares the Same on PNC FirstBank
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, Oct 15 – As PNC Bank has grown it has become more disparate in its lending. After its CEO Bill Demchak announced a $4.1 billion proposal to buy FirstBank and bragged, "We just effectively bought Colorado," Fair Finance Watch prepared an early filing to the regulators demanding scrutiny and hearings. And it filed a FOIA request about Erebor's charter application.
This takes place as the regulators, led by the FDIC, are seeking to eliminate public notice and limit public comment. See, e.g., American Banker, Sept 10, 2025, "The FDIC is taking the 'community' out of CRA enforcement," by Matthew R. Lee, here
On September 30, after the FRB granted expedited processing under FOIA, the OCC denied an identical request for expedited processing, trying to ensure no records during the public comment period.
Compare OCC denial of expedited processing here to FRB grant of identical request here
Inner City Press appealed on September 30.
The OCC denied it, saying the public does not need any information about a bank application before the OCC closes the comment period- and approves it. Like on Erebor:
On October 1 the OCC reflexively denied expedition on a FOIA request for one of the many new (fangled) bank charters it is eager to give out, writing to Inner City Press that
"You requested the exhibits (mis) labeled 'Confidential' in the application for the proposed Erebor Bank. The applicants have withheld almost all exhibits and information about their proposal, including even the names of the directors, organizers, executives and principal shareholders. This is a FOIA request, then, for all of the exhibits. This is also a request for all record reflecting communication by or within the OCC with or about Erebor and its unidentified proposed directors, organizers, executives and principal shareholders.
We have reviewed you request for expedited processing under the criteria set out in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(E) and Treasury disclosure regulations at 31 C.F.R. 1.5(e). Although your request for expedited processing is denied, we have initiated a search in our program offices. The OCC must respond to FOIA requests in the order that they are received, however, we will try to respond as expeditiously as possible. Based on the information you have provided, I have determined that your request for expedited processing should be denied." UNreal.
Then on October 15 the Comptroller bragged, "
"The OCC granted preliminary conditional approval to Erebor Bank after thorough review of its application. In granting this charter, the OCC applied the same rigorous review and standards applied to all charter applications.
“Erebor is the first de novo bank to receive a preliminary conditional approval since I arrived at the OCC. I am committed to a dynamic and diverse federal banking system, and our decision today is a first but important step in living up to that commitment,” said Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould.
But he's rubberstamping and protecting legacy banks too, and not only "Community Banks." Watch this site.
From the filings:
This is an early first comment on, the proposal and applications by PNC to acquire FirstBank. PNC's CEO Bill Demchak on September 9 said publicly, "We just effectively bought Colorado." Not so fast.
Fair Finance Watch has long been concerned about PNC. Fair Finance Watch has reviewed the just-released 2024 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data of PNC, not reviewed in any Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluation.
In state after state, PNC for African Americans has (many) more denials than originations, while the opposite is true for white borrows. The pattern is striking:
In Colorado, which PNC CEO's says the bank has now "effectively bought," PNC in 2024 denied 12 applications from African Americans while making only 17 loans - while it made fully 422 loans to whites and denied only 244 applications.
In Arizona, where PNC lists 60 branches and now proposes to further expand, PNC in 2024 denied 15 applications from African Americans while making only 22 loans - while it made fully 796 loans to whites and denied only 466 applications. This is disparate.
There are many more - including regarding the debanking the OCC said will now be considered in connection with merger and other applications - to be addressed at the requested hearings.
Watch this site.
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Man For Assaulting Jews at NYC Protests Got Plea Deal Now Asks 6 Months Jail Time Served
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY MAG COURT EXCLUSIVE, Oct 14 – A young man charged with assault, the Assistant US Attorney said on Jews, was ordered free on $150,000 bond on May 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrates Court. Inner City Press was the only media there in the Mag Court for the first appearance and live tweeted
Letter was due Friday at noon.
But it did not go into the docket until Monday, May 12, with adults' names redacted. It acknowledges that "some of the messages and postings even indicate sympathies for designated terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hizballah, then cites Brandenburg v. Ohio. There is a footnote about threats.
On May 13, after argument he remained detained pending an order: "Court requests documents from counsel re: orders of protection... Court will issue a written decision; remand continues pending written decision; Court schedules next conference for 5/20/25."
On May 16 Judge Berman docketed: ORDER as to Tarek Bazrouk. The Court may have one or two questions for counsel before finalizing the bail/detention order. We can discuss at our conference on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Signed by Judge Richard M. Berman on 5/16/25)."
On May 21 Judge Berman ordered him detained, noting that "the total cash recovered from the Defendant is $750,062.06" and he traveled to the West Bank and Jordan for three weeks in September and October 2024.
On June 11 Inner City Press was in the courtroom when Bazrouk pleaded guilty; the plea deal estimates his sentencing guideline at 12 to 18 months.
On June 16 defense counsel wrote in that two pending state cases were dismissed upon the Manhattan DA's motion.
On October 14 defense counsel asked for a sentence of six months imprisonment - already served, so time served? It is not phrased that way in the memo, but it does say it "mitigates against an additional term of imprisonment."
SDNY sentencing is set for October 1.
The case is USA v. Bazrouk, 1:25-cr-203 (Berman)
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