The Sources of Abused Substances

Substance Photo by Prem Pal Singh from Pexels

A former supervisory special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Brian Shanahan worked with the agency for 20 years and was part of numerous investigations into domestic and international drug trafficking and money laundering. Brian Shanahan’s role in dismantling criminal organizations consistently earned him outstanding evaluations and resulted in several awards and commendations for his service in the DEA.The DEA has many different divisions aimed at curtailing drug abuse in all its forms. One is the Diversion Control Division, which investigates and prevents the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and legitimately sourced chemicals to ensure a continued supply for medical and commercial needs.

Contrary to popular belief, the most abused substances are prescription drugs and legitimately manufactured drugs. When these get diverted from lawful purposes, they enter the illegal trade market, and the DEA is forced to intervene. The Diversion Control Division also offers many programs to help institutions and organizations control the illicit drug trade.

Highlights of the 2019 AAUW Rockland County Diversity Breakfast

Women
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Brian Shanahan served as a supervisory special agent with the United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). A retired DEA special agent, Brian Shanahan attended the 2019 American Association of University Women (AAUW) Rockland County Diversity Breakfast.

AAUW is a nonprofit organization that promotes equity for women through education, advocacy, and research. The association celebrated its 20th anniversary at the annual Diversity Breakfast on February 23, 2019, at the Pearl River Elks Club in New York. With the theme, “Empowering Women in Diverse Communities in the Age of ‘Me Too,’” the event featured guest speakers Michelle Grier and Emily Waters, who belong to Girls for Gender Equity. They discussed the various ways to acknowledge and support women regardless of how they identify themselves on the gender spectrum.

At the breakfast, AAUW honored Joyce Brown, Ellen Jaffe, and Maureen McGarry, who are role models in community service, legislative leadership, and justice administration, respectively. More than 100 professionals attended the event.

BRIDGES’ Independent Living Services for People with Disabilities

Disabled man Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash

For two decades, Brian Shanahan worked for the United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), where he investigated local and international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Since retiring from the DEA, Brian Shanahan has remained active in his community by supporting worthy causes, including the 2019 BRIDGES “In My Shoes” Awards Dinner.

BRIDGES, a nonprofit organization founded in 1987, is part of the Rockland Independent Living Center. Among its many programs, BRIDGES offers independent living services to help individuals with disabilities make autonomous decisions on living their lives.

BRIDGES has partnered with counselors from the New York State Education Department to give individuals access to services for work readiness, benefits advisement, mobility training, youth employment, and job placement. BRIDGES also collaborates with the Westchester Independent Living Center to help individuals take advantage of different home- and community-based services.

Additionally, individuals with disabilities are given the unique opportunity to expand their emotional and physical boundaries by training to ride a horse at Silver Rock Farm. To learn more about BRIDGES’ programs and services, visit www.bridgesrc.org.

Three Red Flags of Possible Money Laundering Operations

Dollar bills 

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

A retired supervisory special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Brian Shanahan has been involved in the civil service sector for more than two decades. During his time with the DEA, Brian Shanahan oversaw several agents responsible for domestic and international drug trafficking and money laundering operations.

Accountants and other financial professionals are at risk of unintentionally supporting money laundering operations when they are unaware of possible red flags. Below are several warning signs of a potential money laundering operation that financial professionals must be aware of:

Inconsistent Information
Whenever documents cannot be verified, accountants and other professionals must be wary of a business being involved in money laundering. On top of that, a single business having multiple tax IDs is a potential red flag, as are clients who shield the identities of business owners and partners.

Reluctance to Provide Information
Any hesitancy from a client regarding the sharing of data or information is a major red flag of money laundering, according to the Financial Action Task Force. Ideally, clients should feel comfortable answering any financial questions posed by accountants, and should provide extra information to professionals when asked.

Unusual Money Transactions
Financial transactions between two or more parties with no clear business relationship is often cause for concern. The same is true of high cost of sales numbers when compared with the business’ size, or use of a small, rural bank when a big-city one might be more appropriate.

Drug Enforcement Administration Sees Decrease in Overdose Deaths

A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, Brian Shanahan studied at the DEA Academy in 1998 and began working as a case agent after his graduation. After several years working in the US and overseas, Brian Shanahan received a promotion to supervisory special agent and remained in this role until his retirement in 2018.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is a division of the United States Department of Justice that enforces the nation’s controlled-substance laws and regulations. The DEA works closely with state and local law enforcement, as well as foreign governments and agencies, in order to uphold drug laws, assist with investigations, and develop programs to reduce the availability of illegal substances. 

This year, the DEA and Center for Disease Control reported a 5 percent reduction in overdose deaths for the first time in three decades, which marks the first break in a steady increase since 1990. According to statistics, the decline is likely attributed to a drop in deaths by pharmaceutical opioid painkillers. Law enforcement professionals hope that more access to treatment and the overdose-reversing drug naloxone combined with increased awareness and tighter prescription-drug regulations will help continue this downward trend.