scholarly journals Explaining prosecution outcomes for cryptocurrency-based financial crimes

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arianna Trozze ◽  
Toby Davies ◽  
Bennett Kleinberg

Purpose Cryptocurrencies have been used to commit various offences, but enforcement efforts remain underdeveloped relative to the value of these crimes. This paper aims to examine factors associated with outcomes of US-based cryptocurrency financial crime prosecutions. Design/methodology/approach The authors studied the 37 resolved cryptocurrency-based financial crime cases in the USA to date, exploring the impact of offence, defendant and evidence characteristics on the mode of disposition and penalties. The authors used bivariate analyses and logistic regression models to determine relationships among these variables. Findings The presence of individual defendants only (rather than a corporate defendant or combination thereof) and the use of only a cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin in committing a crime each made a case less likely to be resolved by dismissal, trial or summary or default judgement. Originality/value This paper is the first to examine variables contributing to financial crime prosecution outcomes and has implications for prosecutorial decision-making, resource allocation and the prevention and detection of financial offences involving cryptocurrencies.

Objective: While the use of intraoperative laser angiography (SPY) is increasing in mastectomy patients, its impact in the operating room to change the type of reconstruction performed has not been well described. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether SPY angiography influences post-mastectomy reconstruction decisions and outcomes. Methods and materials: A retrospective analysis of mastectomy patients with reconstruction at a single institution was performed from 2015-2017.All patients underwent intraoperative SPY after mastectomy but prior to reconstruction. SPY results were defined as ‘good’, ‘questionable’, ‘bad’, or ‘had skin excised’. Complications within 60 days of surgery were compared between those whose SPY results did not change the type of reconstruction done versus those who did. Preoperative and intraoperative variables were entered into multivariable logistic regression models if significant at the univariate level. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: 267 mastectomies were identified, 42 underwent a change in the type of planned reconstruction due to intraoperative SPY results. Of the 42 breasts that underwent a change in reconstruction, 6 had a ‘good’ SPY result, 10 ‘questionable’, 25 ‘bad’, and 2 ‘had areas excised’ (p<0.01). After multivariable analysis, predictors of skin necrosis included patients with ‘questionable’ SPY results (p<0.01, OR: 8.1, 95%CI: 2.06 – 32.2) and smokers (p<0.01, OR:5.7, 95%CI: 1.5 – 21.2). Predictors of any complication included a change in reconstruction (p<0.05, OR:4.5, 95%CI: 1.4-14.9) and ‘questionable’ SPY result (p<0.01, OR: 4.4, 95%CI: 1.6-14.9). Conclusion: SPY angiography results strongly influence intraoperative surgical decisions regarding the type of reconstruction performed. Patients most at risk for flap necrosis and complication post-mastectomy are those with questionable SPY results.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shazeeda Ali

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to construct a profile of a financial criminal, with special emphasis on their psychological attributes. The objective is to determine if such a profile can provide a valuable tool for detecting perpetrators of financial crime and for implementing risk-reduction strategies. Design/methodology/approach The approach involved a review of various personality disorders and other mental health issues, as well as an analysis of a number of cases involving serious financial crime, to ascertain whether the behaviour of the perpetrators was consistent with certain psychological challenges. In addition, the study examined various motivators for the commission of the financial crime. Findings The research revealed some key commonalities among the perpetrators of financial crime and that their behaviour was often consistent with that of a person afflicted with a personality or other psychological disorder. Originality/value The study provides a comprehensive analysis of various personality and other psychological challenges afflicting a number of offenders involved in financial crime. It also provides some critical findings that could be valuable for those charged with establishing measures to prevent and detect financial crime.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-53
Author(s):  
Amanda Belarmino ◽  
Elizabeth A. Whalen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a charismatic political candidate on hotel revenue in the USA, particularly in their home states, through the lens of the bandwagon effect. Previous researchers have found that political primaries have a significant impact on hotel revenue due to travel to those states; however, there has yet to be an examination of the impact of popular political candidates on hotel revenue. Design/methodology/approach This research examined the impact of Bernie Sanders’ campaign on hotel revenue in the state Vermont due to the relatively stable demand experienced in that market. First, the researchers used forecasting methodology and t-tests to determine if there was a significant increase in hotel revenue during the time of the Sanders’ campaign for the state and for Burlington, Vermont, his campaign headquarters. Then, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with hoteliers in Vermont to determine if the Sanders’ campaign was responsible for the observed changes. Findings While the hotel revenue for the state was not significantly different than what would be expected, the hotel revenue in Burlington did see a significant increase. Hoteliers did attribute an increased awareness of the destination and some specific instances of travelers to Sanders’ campaign. Originality/value This is the first study to date to demonstrate the influence of a political candidate on hotel revenue and demonstrated that the bandwagon effect can impact hotel revenue. For hoteliers, it demonstrates that increased destination awareness can impact behavioral intentions on a small scale.


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1859-1877
Author(s):  
José Fernández-Menéndez ◽  
Óscar Rodríguez-Ruiz ◽  
José-Ignacio López-Sánchez ◽  
María Isabel Delgado-Piña

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study how job reductions affect product innovation and marketing innovation in a sample of 2,034 Spanish manufacturing firms in the period 2007–2014.Design/methodology/approachPoisson and logistic regression models with random effects were used to analyse the impact of downsizing on some innovation outcomes of firms.FindingsThe results of this research show that the stressful measure of job reductions may have unexpected consequences, stimulating innovation. However downsizing combined with radical organisational changes such as new equipment, techniques or processes seems to have a negative impact on product and marketing innovation.Originality/valueThis research has two original features. First, it explores the unconventional direction of causality from the planned elimination of jobs to innovation outputs. Secondly, the paper looks at the combined effect of downsizing and other restructuring measures on different types of innovation. Following the threat-rigidity theory, we assume that this combination represents a major threat for survivors that leads to lower levels of product and marketing innovation.


Author(s):  
Harit Satt ◽  
Sarah Nechbaoui ◽  
M. Kabir Hassan ◽  
Selma Izadi

Purpose This paper aims to document the impact of Ramadan on the optimism of analysts’ recommendations taking as a sample the countries of the MENA region during the period between 2004 and 2015. The choice of these countries can be explained by the fact that their population is predominantly of a Muslim faith (The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050, 2015). Design/methodology/approach The authors used univariate and multivariate regression models to highlight the existence of the Ramadan effect on the optimism of analysts. They have found that pre-holiday optimism is significantly lower than post-holiday optimism. Findings This paper also documented the effect of analysts’ experience and information uncertainty on the analysts’ optimism level that allowed us to infer that low experience enhances optimism, while environment with low information uncertainty tends to decrease the level of optimism. Originality/value Previous research on this topic has investigated the effect of months of the year, turns of the month and days-of-the-week on the behavior of stock exchanges. Another strand of the literature also analyzed the effect of holidays on the latter. However, this is the first attempt to investigate this effect on analysts’ recommendations optimism when the holiday period is related to Islam.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-257
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Ruggiero

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the aftermath of the 2006-07 financial crisis and attempts to identify a range of causes that were responsible for it and are likely to trigger similar events in the future. The analytical tradition established by the study of white-collar crime provides the background for such an examination, which avails itself of some conceptualisations derived from classical economic thought. Design/methodology/approach Explanations of financial crime can resort to general theories based on allegedly universal values. They can posit the existence of criminaloids, namely, individuals who indulge in illegal practices, or ‘honest fraud’, while not deeming themselves culpable. Anomie and control theory in criminology have highlighted how the causes of financial crime are associated with general criminogenic contexts or with individual propensities or mindsets. This paper adds to the existing perspectives a number of variables that can provide a more nuanced picture of financial crimes. Findings This paper attempts to identify a range of discrete variables that can be termed interstitial in the sense that they can accompany a variety of theoretical hypotheses, locate themselves in the space left in between the different approaches while providing supplementary analytical foci. Ignorance, entitlement, reverse Keynesianism, recklessness, efficiency and the finance curse may offer additional angles from which the causation of financial crime can be observed. Sociological and criminological arguments, in this paper, are interspersed with notions derived from classical economics. Originality/value The originality of this contribution is to be found in its use of different theoretical traditions, establishing a dialogue between social theory, criminology and economic thought.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 654-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Matricano

Purpose According to an emerging research trend, which seeks to apply the concept of intellectual capital (IC) to the field of entrepreneurship, the purpose of this paper is to test whether IC can affect the start-up expectations of aspiring entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach Binary logistic regression models, based on empirical data derived from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor website and referring to Italy over the years 2005-2010, are used to test the influence of IC (comprising human, structural and relational capital) on start-up expectations. Findings Binary logistic regression models reveal robust results. Human, structural and relational capitals affect start-up expectations in Italy. Only in 2010 did structural capital fail to do so. Research limitations/implications This study has three main limitations. The first concerns the need for further research to confirm the influence of IC on start-up expectations. The second concerns in-depth, more exhaustive analyses that cannot be carried out due to the use of second- hand data. The third deals with the reference only to Italy, over a limited time-span (2005-2010). Originality/value To the best knowledge of the author, this is one of the first empirical studies that investigate whether IC can affect start-up expectations. Results revealed by the regression models might steer other scholars’ interest toward this research path (linking IC and entrepreneurship) that has not yet been properly considered.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-305
Author(s):  
Noel Campbell ◽  
Adriana S. Cordis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether public corruption influences entrepreneurial activity in the USA. Because the true underlying level of corruption is inherently unobservable, it cannot be factored into business venturing decisions. The authors hypothesize, therefore, that new business venturing should be related to the expected corruption level. Design/methodology/approach – The authors follow Cordis (2009) to calculate the expected rate of public corruption given observed levels of public corruption. The authors embed the expected level of corruption in a relatively standard model of business venturing, which the authors estimate using a cross section of the US states covering the period of 1986-2009. Findings – Using a relatively standard model of business venturing that accounts for variation in predicted corruption levels, the authors find that entrepreneurs launch more businesses in states with higher predicted corruption. Originality/value – To the knowledge, no one has previously tested the impact of expected corruption on entrepreneurial activity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-387
Author(s):  
Ahmed Yamen ◽  
Anas Al Qudah ◽  
Ahmed Badawi ◽  
Ahmed Bani-Mustafa

Purpose Despite the existence of laws, regulations and sanctions, financial crime remains widespread. The Panama leaks have proven that people from all over the world are participating in money laundering and other financial crimes. This study aims to investigate the influence of national culture on financial crimes across 78 countries. Design/methodology/approach This study uses Hofstede’s cultural framework as a basis for its hypotheses on financial crime. It also uses the Basel anti-money laundering index as a proxy for measuring the incidence of financial crime across the countries under review. Findings The findings show that countries whose cultural profiles are characterized by low uncertainty avoidance, low individualism, high masculinity and low long-term orientation have high rates of financial crime. The finding also shows that countries whose cultural profiles are characterized by individualism or positive collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation have low rates of financial crime. Originality/value Laws, regulations and sanctions are not the only factors that can help deter the crime; governments should also take a holistic approach that includes the cultural factors that encourage deterrence.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 1190-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Heon Lee ◽  
Ananth Chiravuri

Purpose Serial crowdfunding is becoming a common phenomenon as entrepreneurs repeatedly return to online crowdfunding to raise capital. In this study, the authors focus attention on serial crowdfunders, that is, entrepreneurs who experience launching more than one crowdfunding project. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of past experience on subsequent crowdfunding performance. This study also examines whether initial success vs initial failure leads serial crowdfunders to engage in more explorative behaviors (i.e. switching industry) and to take exploitative actions (i.e. adjusting campaign strategies in terms of goal setting and funding option). Design/methodology/approach Data on serial crowdfunding projects was retrieved from Indiegogo platform. The logistic regression models are estimated to assess the impact of past entrepreneurial experience on subsequent crowdfunding decisions, and to estimate the effects of the three strategies on subsequent funding performance. Findings The results show that serial creators who experienced successful initial crowdfunding are more likely to explore a new industry or product category in the crowdfunding market and to set a higher target capital for the subsequent campaign when they change a project category. Originality/value Despite the fact that there are a considerably large number of serial crowdfunders in crowdfunding market, relatively little research has been conducted to investigate the presence of learning benefits from a previous to a subsequent crowdfunding project. Two competing hypotheses, drawn from the attribution theory and hubris theory of entrepreneurship, were tested in this study to determine the impact of prior success vs failure experience on both subsequent crowdfunding decisions and funding performance.


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