Tag: sanctioned

Local banks guarding against the sanctioned Mohameds

Posted on by Aliyah Persaud

Attorney General Anil Nandlall has reiterated the serious implications that will flow from association with the Mohamed family, who have been sanctioned by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in relation to money laundering.
Speaking on his talk show Issues in the News on Tuesday, Nandlall weighed in on several persons close to presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed losing their local bank accounts. He said that the banks would have determined a threat to the financial system and moved to ensure its protection. Demerara Bank and, most recently, the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) have closed accounts belonging to candidates of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party.
“Once one commercial bank moves in this direction it means that they have determined a threat in the financial system; and the financial system is interconnected. And once there is a threat somewhere in the system it will contaminate the entire system and other banks will have to follow suit,” he said.
The Attorney General noted that this is how the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework operates to ensure that financial institutions act appropriately in response to those involved in financial crimes.
OFAC enforces economic and trade sanctions to counter threats such as money laundering, terrorism, and corruption. Sanctions typically involve freezing assets and prohibiting US entities from engaging with targeted individuals, businesses, or countries. Violating these sanctions can lead to serious penalties, including fines and criminal charges. OFAC sanctions also carry wider consequences, as anyone dealing with sanctioned parties may face secondary sanctions and legal or reputational fallout, impacting national financial systems and international relations.
Both Azruddin and his father Nazar “Shell” Mohamed are sanctioned by OFAC for gold smuggling, tax evasion, and corruption.
Recently, US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole D. Theriot told the local media that the US is concerned if Mohamed is elected to Parliament, noting the negative impact it will have on business and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
If elected to Parliament, Mohamed becomes part of the governance structure, and there will be repercussions, the Attorney General stated.
“That is a statement of fact,” he insisted, adding that “ The Guyanese electorate will have to deal with that and the Guyanese people will have to deal with that, and that is why we are saying this is not a normal competitor, this is a person if elected he will expose the country to harm, he has already exposed the persons associated with him to harm, visas have been revoked and persons are being questioned at airports.”
The Attorney General said that Guyana has already experienced the effects of a contaminated system when the country was blacklisted. Operators of the local financial system is cognisant of how sanctions operate and is thus taking the appropriate required steps to ensure its protection, he noted.

Guyanese businessman Mark “Demon” Cromwell, others sanctioned by US Government

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

Prominent Guyanese businessman and former police officer Mark Cromwell—known locally by the aliases “Diamond” and “Demon”—has been sanctioned by the United States government. 

Cromwell is among five individuals named in the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) latest sanctions update. These sanctions come under the OFAC program “ILLICIT-DRUGS-EO14059”, which, according to Executive Order 14059, targets individuals or organizations complicit in the global illegal drug trade.

The sanctions list targets persons accused of arms trafficking, drug smuggling, and acts of violence. Alongside Cromwell, the list includes Paul Daby Jr., Randolph Duncan, Himnauth Sawh, and Yeison Andres Sanchez Vallejo. These sanctions freeze any assets the individuals may hold in the U.S. and prohibit American citizens from engaging in any business or financial transactions with them.

Mark “Demon” Cromwell’s name has long been associated with controversy, both during his time as a police officer and later as a businessman. His criminal history dates back over two decades, beginning in 2003 when he was detained alongside two others after an army patrol found two automatic pistols and live rounds in their vehicle. Though Cromwell was not in direct possession of a weapon, the incident led to internal disciplinary action and marked the start of his troubled public record.

In 2015, Cromwell was again in the spotlight after a large arms shipment, including AK-47 rifles and pistols, was intercepted at the GNIC wharf in Georgetown. The weapons were hidden in a container shipped from Miami and were allegedly linked to his younger brother, Jamal Murphy, who was later charged. Cromwell voluntarily turned himself in during the investigation but was ultimately released without charge. Despite his release, the incident further fueled speculation about his involvement in arms trafficking.

More recently, in May 2023, Cromwell was arrested and charged for assaulting a police officer during a traffic stop. He was accused of attacking Constable Harlequin along with another man, Kessee Edwards. Both were remanded to prison while awaiting trial.

Later that year, Cromwell became a suspect in the kidnapping of former police officer Delon Alexander, who was allegedly abducted by men claiming affiliation with Cromwell. A wanted bulletin was issued for him, but he has not been apprehended and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Despite repeated brushes with the law, Cromwell, known in local circles simply as “Demon,” has maintained a visible presence in the communities of Buxton and Vigilance.

The U.S. sanctions are part of a broader initiative to dismantle criminal networks in the Caribbean and Latin America. According to OFAC, these individuals have been identified as key players in operations that threaten regional security and stability.

This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.