Designated with Yaya Jata Fanusie

Beginning in 2011, the Silk Road was the place to go online for any number of illegal drugs and contraband or other illicit items.  And as long as a buyer had some of this new digital currency called Bitcoin to spend, they could find whatever they wanted for purchase. This illicit activity on the Silk Road really put crypto on the map…. especially for law enforcement.  In  2013, the Silk Road was shut down as part of an intense federal investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Key to the disruption of the Silk Road was an undercover special agent with the Department of Homeland Security.  Jared Der-Yeghiayan spoke with Designated host Yaya Jata Fanusie and explained what happened behind the scenes of the Silk Road and how he and a team of his fellow agents were able to shut it down.

A text message out of nowhere, from a number you don’t know, from someone thinking you’re someone else.  These messages might represent the digital bait in a global phishing operation called “pig butchering.” These scams may start with a text message. They could begin with a conversation on a dating app. But the scammers on the other side know how to reel people in and take them to the financial slaughterhouse.  Erin West is a Deputy District Attorney for Santa Clara County, California, and a central figure in the fight to combat “pig butchering.” She spoke with Designated host, Yaya Jata Fanusie, to help understand how “pig butchering” scams work and the steps we can take to keep from becoming a victim.

In Part 2 of the debut episode of "Designated," host Yaya Jata Fanusie continues his examination of Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS special agent and financial crime fighter unjustly imprisoned in Nigeria for over seven months. Tigran was known for his groundbreaking work in combating cybercrime and cryptocurrency fraud.  His expertise led him to Binance, where he was pivotal in enhancing compliance measures. Tigran was unjustly detained after a meeting in Nigeria regarding Binance's operations, and has remained there for over 200 days. Yaya speaks with former IRS Chief of Investigations, Richard Weber who served as Chief while Tigran was a Special Agent, Tigran’s former fellow Agent and friend, Matthew Price and Chief Compliance Officer at Binance, Noah Perlman.  Join us as we uncover the truth behind this troubling case and rally for justice. 

In the debut episode of "Designated," host Yaya Jata Fanuise shines a spotlight on Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS special agent and financial crime fighter unjustly imprisoned in Nigeria for over seven months. Tigran was known for his groundbreaking work in combating cybercrime and cryptocurrency fraud, and his expertise led him to Binance, where he was pivotal in enhancing compliance measures. Tigran was unjustly detained after a meeting in Nigeria regarding Binance's operations, and has remained there for over 200 days. This first installment of a two-part episode features conversations with Tigran's wife, Yuki, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) and Wired’s Andy Greenberg, all advocating for his release. Join us as we uncover the truth behind this troubling case and rally for justice.

Yaya Jata Fanusie, a former CIA analyst with years of experience in counterterrorism and financial crime investigations, will go behind the scenes with the professionals working to safeguard the global financial system from illicit acts.