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<section article="gfi" article_name="Financial Institutions" number="12-426" title_number="12" title_name="Miscellaneous Institutions and Activities" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Maryland Money Transmission Act">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to the hearing provisions of § 12-428 of this subtitle, the Commissioner may suspend or revoke the license of any licensee if:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The licensee or any owner, director, officer, member, coventurer, partner, stockholder, employee, or agent of the licensee:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Makes any material misstatement in an application for a license;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Conducts the business of money transmission in an unsafe or unsound manner;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Refuses to permit the Commissioner to make an examination authorized under this subtitle;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Willfully fails to make a report required under this subtitle;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Is convicted under the laws of the United States or any state of a felony or a misdemeanor that is directly related to the fitness and qualification of the person to engage in the business of money transmission;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>In connection with any money transmission transaction:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Commits a fraud;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Engages in an illegal or dishonest activity; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Misrepresents or fails to disclose a material fact to a governmental agency;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>Violates any provision of this subtitle or any regulation adopted under this subtitle, or any other law regulating the business of money transmission; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>Otherwise demonstrates unworthiness, bad faith, dishonesty, or any other quality that indicates that the business of the licensee has not been or will not be conducted honestly, fairly, equitably, and efficiently; or</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The licensee:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Has inadequate net worth and the licensee, after 10 days’ written notice from the Commissioner, fails to take steps that the Commissioner deems necessary to remedy the deficiency;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Becomes insolvent;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Has suspended payment of its obligations, made an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or admitted its inability to pay its debts as they become due; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Has applied for an adjudication of bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, or other relief under any bankruptcy proceeding.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>In determining whether a license should be suspended or revoked for a reason identified in subsection (a)(1)(v) of this section, the Commissioner shall consider:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The nature of the crime;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The relationship of the crime to the activities authorized by the license;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>With respect to a felony, the relevance of the conviction to the fitness and qualification of the licensee to engage in the business of money transmission;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The length of time since the conviction; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The behavior and activities of the licensee since the conviction.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>Subject to the hearing provisions of § 12-428 of this subtitle, the Commissioner may issue an order to the licensee to terminate its relationship with an authorized delegate if the Commissioner finds that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The authorized delegate or a director, officer, employee, or person that has control of the authorized delegate:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Has violated any provision of this subtitle or any regulation adopted or order issued under this subtitle;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Has engaged or participated in an unsafe or unsound act with respect to the business of money transmission;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Has made or caused to be made in any application or report filed with the Commissioner or in a proceeding before the Commissioner, a statement which was at the time and in the circumstances under which it was made, false or misleading with respect to a material fact, or has omitted to state in an application or report a material fact which is required to be stated; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Has failed to cooperate with an examination or investigation by the Commissioner authorized by this subtitle; or</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The competence, experience, integrity, financial condition, or overall moral character of the authorized delegate, or a director, officer, employee, or person that has control of the authorized delegate, indicates that it would not be in the interest of the public to permit the person to engage in the business of money transmission.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The authorized delegate about whom an order is issued under this section may apply to the Commissioner to modify or rescind the order.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Commissioner may not grant an application filed under paragraph (1) of this subsection unless the Commissioner finds that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>It is in the public interest to modify or rescind the order; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>It is reasonable to believe that the authorized delegate, if and when permitted to resume acting as an authorized delegate of a licensee, will comply with all applicable provisions of this subtitle and any regulation adopted or order issued under this subtitle.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Commissioner may enforce the provisions of this subtitle by issuing an order:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>To cease and desist and to take affirmative action from the violation and any further similar violations; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Requiring the violator to take affirmative action to correct the violation including the restitution of money or property to any person aggrieved by the violation.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If a violator fails to comply with an order issued under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Commissioner may impose a civil penalty not exceeding:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>$10,000 for the first violation; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>$25,000 for each subsequent violation from which the violator failed to cease and desist or for which the violator failed to take affirmative action.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Commissioner may file a petition in the circuit court for any county seeking enforcement of an order issued under this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>In determining the amount of financial penalty to be imposed under subsection (e) of this section, the Commissioner shall consider the following:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The seriousness of the violation;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The good faith of the violator;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The violator’s history of previous violations;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The deleterious effect of the violation on the public;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The assets of the violator; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Any other factors relevant to the determination of the financial penalty.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
