Two have been named to positions newly created at Treasury’s financial crimes enforcement unit, one of them charged with leading the agency’s focus on digital currency.
In a release Tuesday, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) said Michele Korver is now FinCEN’s first-ever chief digital currency advisor. In that capacity, it said, Korver will advise the FinCEN director and will advance FinCEN’s leadership role in the digital currency space by working across internal and external partners “toward strategic and innovative solutions to prevent and mitigate illicit financial practices and exploitation.”
FinCEN said Korver most recently served as digital currency counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice’s criminal division, where she advised government attorneys and federal agents nationwide on digital currency matters to assist charging decisions and other prosecutorial strategies. In that role, it said, she also served as an advisor to Treasury’s Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and the U.S. delegation to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF); and developed cryptocurrency seizure and forfeiture policy and legislation.
The agency also announced the appointment of Jayna Desai as FinCEN’s first-ever cirector of the Office of Strategic Communications within FinCEN’s Office of the Director. It said Desai will formulate FinCEN’s internal and external communications and oversee media engagement on behalf of the bureau. It noted that Desai most recently served as senior policy advisor to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) Office of Operations Support, where she oversaw all communications, including social and digital media, and “developed and delivered legislative engagement.”