The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Thursday announced the appointment of Eun Young Choi as the first Director of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET).
The DOJ said Choi, who most recently served as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, is a seasoned prosecutor with nearly a decade of experience in the department.
“With the rapid innovation of digital assets and distributed ledger technologies, we have seen a rise in their illicit use by criminals who exploit them to fuel cyberattacks and ransomware and extortion schemes; traffic in narcotics, hacking tools and illicit contraband online; commit thefts and scams; and launder the proceeds of their crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The NCET will serve as the focal point for the department’s efforts to tackle the growth of crime involving these technologies. Eun Young is an accomplished leader on cyber and cryptocurrency issues, and I am pleased that she will continue her service as the NCET’s inaugural Director, spearheading the department’s efforts in this area.”
Established to ensure the DOJ meets the challenges posed by the criminal misuse of cryptocurrencies and digital assets, the NCET is comprised of attorneys from across the DOJ with backgrounds in cryptocurrency, cybercrime, money laundering, and forfeiture. The NCET will identify, investigate, support, and pursue the DOJ’s digital assets cases with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, infrastructure providers, and other entities that enable the misuse of cryptocurrency and related technologies to commit criminal activity.
“The department has been at the forefront of investigating and prosecuting crimes involving digital currencies since their inception,” said Director Choi. “The NCET will play a pivotal role in ensuring that as the technology surrounding digital assets grows and evolves, the department in turn accelerates and expands its efforts to combat their illicit abuse by criminals of all kinds. I am excited to lead the NCET’s incredible and talented team of attorneys and to get to work on this important priority for the department. I would like to thank Assistant Attorney General Polite and the Criminal Division’s leadership for this opportunity.”
Choi will begin her full-time duties as Director effective immediately.