Gerald Lewis was the [[Florida]] state comptroller who refused to renew [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International|BCCI]]'s license to operate in the state after the 1990 Tampa money-laundering conviction.[^1] ### Role in BCCI Regulation Lewis's decision to shut down BCCI's operations in Florida was a direct response to the bank's money-laundering conviction. He received letters from [[Charles Saphos]], Chief of the Criminal Division Narcotics section of the [[U.S. Department of Justice]], requesting that BCCI be allowed to remain open.[^2] Lewis, however, maintained that the bank had to comply with all legal requirements, including those related to felony convictions.[^3] Lewis's actions ultimately led to the closure of BCCI's branches in Florida.[^4] ### Footnotes [^1]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 10. [^2]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 88. [^3]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 375. [^4]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 374.