Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are on the trail of Jack Reacher… and a Treasury Agent is on their tail… or is he?
And… what exactly does a Treasury Agent do anyway? I researched this for my latest Hunt for Jack Reacher thriller novel, Jack the Reaper, and found that a Treasury Agent does, well, a lot.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a branch of the Treasury Department, was created in 1990 to support federal, state, local, and our international law enforcement communities. These agents focus primarily on analyzing information required under the Bank Secrecy Act. The Bank Secrecy Act is one of the United States’ main tools in the fight against money laundering — and in the fight against suspicious transactions involving money in general. This act requires banks to record cash transactions over $10K, and report suspicious transactions that might signify money laundering or even tax evasion.
FinCEN, as it’s called, researches this intelligence and supports financial criminal investigations.
FinCEN is involved in a lot of investigations involving the Bank Secrecy Act and Suspicious Activity Reports. Here is just a very small snapshot of their latest cases:
- SAR Filing Results in Arrests on Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering |Depository Institutions, Involving SARs, Money Laundering, Narcotics Trafficking
- Individual Sentenced for Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business & Bankruptcy Fraud | Depository Institutions, Involving CTRs, Money Services Businesses
- State & Federal Agencies Seize $8.9 Million—Brought Together by Gateway Alert Match Program | Involving CTRs, Involving SARs, Money Laundering
- BSA Documents Lead to Repatriation & Seizure of over $9 Million Generated by Illegal Internet Pharmacy | Depository Institutions, Involving SARs, Money Services Businesses, Other Crimes
- Former Executive in Prison for Tax Evasion | Involving SARs, Tax Crimes
- SARs Lead to Conviction of Major Cocaine Trafficker | Narcotics Trafficking, Money Laundering, Involving SARs, Fraud, Involving CTRs, Depository Institutions, Tax Crimes
- Defendant Pleads Guilty in Structuring Case | Depository Institutions, Casinos and Card Clubs, BSA Violations
As you can see, Treasury Agents are involved in fighting drug trafficking, money laundering, and even casinos!
On a perhaps less “thrilling” side, Treasury Agents also are involved in policy making. The Treasury Building is just steps from the White House. Agents located at headquarters are involved in overall management of the Treasury Department. The remainder of the Treasury Agents are located in bureaus across the country in a variety of 250 job types — accountants, economists, financial analysts, and revenue agents.
So, if the job description of a Treasury Agent can be so diverse, doesn’t it make you wonder which kind of agent is coming into play in Jack the Reacher?
To find out, buy the book from your retailer of choice HERE.
I read “you don’t Know Jack” last week and ordered the next four books in the series. Today started the last of those and ordered the rest. Fun read.
I am Lee Child and Stuart Woods are among my favorite authors.
Which of your series would you suggest next for me?
Hi, Todd,
Thanks so much for reading my books and letting me know you liked them! Have you read my books starring Michael Flint? I suspect they would be right up your “wish list” of good reads. There are two books in this series right now, Blood Trails and Trace Evidence. If you give them a try, please let me know how you liked them!
Aftre meeting Judge Carson in “Jack in the Green”, I may try her next but I will check out Flint.
Thank you.
Excellent choice, Todd! Willa has long been one of my favorites. If you try one of hers, please let me know what you think.