Leo Tsao

Mr. Tsao is the Principal Deputy Chief of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the Criminal Division, at the United States Department of Justice.  As the Principal Deputy Chief, Mr. Tsao is responsible for, among other things, exercising nationwide supervisory authority over the DOJ’s money laundering program, and supervising investigations and prosecutions of financial institutions for Bank Secrecy Act, sanctions, and money laundering violations.  He also helps to oversee the Department’s Asset Forfeiture program, including setting nationwide policies and managing the Asset Forfeiture Fund.  Prior to his current position, Mr. Tsao was the Chief of the Bank Integrity Unit at MLARS, and an Assistant Chief in the FCPA Unit of the Fraud Section.  Mr. Tsao spent eight years as a federal prosecutor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and more than six years at law firms in New York City and Washington, D.C.  He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert Boochever for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Mr. Tsao received his law degree magna cum laude from Cornell Law School.