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Banking and Finance Law

University of Miami Law School

University of Miami Business Law Review

Money laundering

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The Value Of Cryptocurrencies: How Bitcoin Fares In The Pockets Of Federal And State Courts, Brandon M. Peck Dec 2017

The Value Of Cryptocurrencies: How Bitcoin Fares In The Pockets Of Federal And State Courts, Brandon M. Peck

University of Miami Business Law Review

A recent Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida decision has raised concerns over how both federal and state courts consider the unregulated cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. In State of Florida v. Michell Abner Espinoza, Judge Teresa Pooler held that Bitcoin did not fall under the statutory definitions of “payment instrument” or “monetary instrument” because virtual currency is not directly specified nor could it be included within one of the defined categories listed in Fla. Stat. § 560.103(29) or 896.101(2). Furthermore, Judge Pooler, alluding to the doctrine of lenity, refused to hold Espinoza responsible under a statute that is “so vaguely written …


Floating On A Sea Of Funny Money: An Analysis Of Money Laundering Through Miami Real Estate And The Federal Government’S Attempt To Stop It, Gary Mcpherson Dec 2017

Floating On A Sea Of Funny Money: An Analysis Of Money Laundering Through Miami Real Estate And The Federal Government’S Attempt To Stop It, Gary Mcpherson

University of Miami Business Law Review

Miami is experiencing a money laundering controversy the likes of which have not been seen since the “Cocaine Cowboys” era of 1980’s Miami. Condominiums and other mega developments are popping up at an unprecedented pace, immediately after the housing market crash that caused the Great Recession. Adding to this questionable boom in development is the fact that the vast majority of Miami’s population cannot afford to live in places like these. So, the question presented is who is fueling this explosion in development? Criminals, that’s who. Federal agents believe criminals are buying coveted Miami real estate through shell companies to …