Charles Saphos

Charles Saphos was the Chief of the Criminal Division Narcotics section of the Department of Justice.¹

Role in BCCI Scandal

Saphos wrote to Florida regulators after BCCI's Tampa conviction, requesting that the bank be allowed to remain open.² His letter was worded to indicate that the Justice Department might wish to monitor certain accounts at the bank.² Gerald Lewis, the Florida state comptroller, refused to renew BCCI's license, citing that a felony had been committed and the bank must comply with legal requirements.³

Saphos clarified that the Justice Department was not requesting BCCI to be licensed, but rather that if it remained open, there might be occasions where the Justice Department would request banking relationships with customers under criminal investigation.³ He sent identical letters to banking commissioners in New York City and Florida after meeting with former Justice Department attorneys for BCCI.³ Copies of these letters were sent to the attorneys but not to the U.S. attorney in Tampa, and the clarifying letter was not sent to New York or California commissioners.³