Examples of Money Laundering Investigations - Fiscal Year 2013

The following examples of money laundering investigations are written from public record documents on file in the court records in the judicial district in which the cases were prosecuted.

Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Money Laundering
On April 24, 2013, in Pittsburgh, Pa., Adrian M. Taylor, aka Tate, of Beaver Falls, Pa., was sentenced to 131 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Taylor pleaded guilty to money laundering. According to court documents, from on or about December 4, 2009, and continuing to on or about September 29, 2011, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Taylor, with the help of others, conspired to knowingly launder money derived from illegal drug trafficking.

Pennsylvania Man Sentenced on Drug and Money Laundering Charges
On April 22, 2013, in Pittsburgh, Pa., Eric Michael Mason, of New Brighton, Pa., was sentenced to 131 months in prison and five years of supervised release.  On November 29, 2012, Mason pleaded guilty to violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws. According to court documents, from on or about December 4, 2009, and continuing to on or about September 29, 2011, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Mason conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute four kilograms of cocaine. During the same time period, Mason purchased real estate and vehicles with drug proceeds and conspired with others to launder the proceeds of the illegal drug trafficking.

California Man Sentenced on Structuring Charges
On April 22, 2013, in Fresno, Calif., Joseph Edwin Gable Jr., aka Mike Jones, of Fresno, Calif., was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Gable pleaded guilty on January 18, 2013. According to court documents, Gable structured $693,905 in cash derived from the sales of marijuana in order to evade currency transaction reporting requirements. Financial institutions are required to file currency transaction reports for cash transactions involving more than $10,000. To accomplish the scheme, Gable used multiple bank accounts held by friends and relatives. According to court documents, some of the marijuana was grown on property leased in Fresno County. People were recruited to obtain California medical marijuana recommendations from a local physician for the purpose of growing marijuana, which was in fact shipped to other states.

New York Man Sentenced for Money Laundering
On April 18, 2013, in Rochester, N.Y., Michael Kardonick, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced to 120 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,164,059 in restitution for conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, between January 2004 and July 2008, Kardonick defrauded investors who had invested approximately $2.5 million in international currency trading investments through the company Atwood & James S.A. During the course of the scheme, Kardonick used the mail and wire communications to facilitate the execution of the fraud, using the illegally obtained investor proceeds to promote the scheme, in violation of the federal money laundering provisions.  

Two Men Sentenced in Cigarette Trafficking Operation
On April 12, 2013, in Florence, S.C., two men were sentenced for their roles in an illegal cigarette trafficking ring believed to have smuggled over three million dollars worth of cigarettes between South Carolina and New York. Nathaniel Elmore, of Newark, N.J., was sentenced to 32 months in prison and Charley Antonio Davis Jr, of Bishopville, S.C., was sentenced to six months probation. Elmore used a front business called “The Cigar Room” in Florence, S.C. to purchase cigarettes so he could avoid paying the significantly higher taxes levied in his home state of New Jersey. He then used a series of specially modified vans to transport millions of cigarettes from Florence to New York City. Elmore, the leader of the smuggling ring, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering.  Davis, a driver and purchaser for the organization, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to keep tobacco records.

Final Defendant of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced on Drug and Money Laundering Charges
On March 27, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio, Antwane J. Rhodes, aka “Rho”, formerly of Springfield, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, fined $5,000 and ordered to forfeit cash, vehicles and jewelry. Rhodes pleaded guilty on September 25, 2012 to conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and money laundering. According to court documents, the investigation into the organization began in 2007. Sources identified Rhodes as one of the leaders of a drug trafficking organization. Loads of marijuana were received from a variety of sources. Evidence shows Rhodes laundered the money he was receiving from the sale of the marijuana by buying vehicles and custom jewelry, making deposits into bank accounts of a small company called T & J Investments of Ohio LTD and other means. Rhodes also made trips to Las Vegas with his co-conspirators and gave each of them just under $10,000 cash to carry with them. Five other defendants in the case were sentenced as follows:
•Marc Clark - Sentenced on January 7, 2013 to 100 months in prison
•Steve Blackmon - Sentenced on November 29, 2012 to 15 months in prison
•Jayson Reed - Sentenced on February 27, 2013 to 12 months and a day in prison
•Shawnte M. Lynn - Sentenced on January 25, 2013 to 15 months in prison
•Erik Neely - Sentenced on January 25, 2013 to 18 months in prison.

Los Zetas Money Launderers Sentenced
On March 25, 2013, in Laredo, Texas, Laredoans Laurencio Montes and Jose Luis Gonzales were sentenced for their roles in laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds from the Los Zetas drug trafficking organization. Montes was sentenced to 120 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $6 million. Gonzales was sentenced to 60 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $2,999,319. Montes and Gonzales pleaded guilty on October 30, 2012 to conspiracy to launder drug proceeds. According to court documents, the organization shipped multiple loads of cocaine from Mexico to major distribution centers in the United States such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas. During the course of the investigation, approximately $21 million was seized from various tractor trailer drivers, couriers and stash homes in Texas and Illinois which was destined to be transported into Mexico for delivery to the Zeta drug trafficking organization.

Korean National Sentenced for Structuring Over $1.5 Million Using Fraudulent Passports
On March 21, 2013, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Young Mo Sung, a citizen of South Korea, was sentenced to 31 months in prison. Sung pleaded guilty on November 9, 2012 for to passport fraud and structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements of the IRS. According to court documents, Sung had structured approximately 254 transactions totaling $1,538,385 with domestic financial institutions through multiple bank accounts he had opened using passports under fraudulent identities. He structured the financial transactions to move currency he received from females employed at bars and/or clubs in Honolulu, Hawaii and Los Angeles, California. Sung was paid a commission to deposit and transfer the female workers’ cash proceeds.

North Carolina Tobacco Broker Sentenced
On March 21, 2013, in Raleigh, N.C., Jesse Ray “Tommy” Faulkner, II, was sentenced to 66 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $13,261,662 in restitution. On December 10, 2012, Faulkner pleaded guilty to conspiring to make false statements, making material false statements, committing mail and wire fraud, structuring financial transactions and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  According to court documents, Faulkner was an agent for a cigarette manufacturer, and operated as an independent tobacco broker. Faulkner also operated independent tobacco receiving stations in Wilson, N.C. Through his tobacco receiving stations, Faulkner bought and sold tobacco from farmers with cash or in nominee names to facilitate the farmers in hiding their production. The conspiring farmers would not report the sales of the “hidden” tobacco in connection with their federal crop insurance claims, thereby being paid for losses they did not suffer. Faulkner then resold the “hidden” tobacco to the cigarette manufacturer. During the course of the conspiracy, Faulkner sold or caused to be sold $5,181,816 worth of “hidden” flue-cured tobacco and $8,097,429 worth of “hidden” burley tobacco.

Defendant Sentenced for Conspiracy and Money Laundering Crimes
On March 20, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nev., Shawn Rice, of Seligman, Ariz., was sentenced to 98 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $1.29 million in assets and pay $95,782 in restitution. Rice, a member of an anti-government movement known as the “Sovereign Movement,” was convicted by a jury in July 2012 of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, thirteen counts of money laundering, and four counts of failure to appear. According to court records, from about March 2008 to March 2009, Rice and co-defendant Samuel Davis, of Council, Idaho, laundered approximately $1.3 million of monies that they thought were from the theft and forgery of stolen official bank checks. Rice and Davis laundered the monies through a nominee trust account controlled by Davis and through an account of a purported religious organization controlled by Rice. Davis and Rice took approximately $74,000 and $22,000, respectively, in fees for their money laundering services. Davis was sentenced in October 2011 to 57 months in prison. Davis and Rice are heavily involved in the “Sovereign Movement,” whose members believe they do not have to pay taxes and believe the federal government deceived Americans into obtaining social security cards, driver’s licenses, car registrations, etc., and that if these contracts are revoked; persons are “sovereign citizens.” Members of the sovereign movement also believe that U.S. currency is invalid.  They widely use fictitious financial instruments such as fraudulent money orders, personal checks, and sight drafts, and participate in “redemption” schemes where the fictitious financial instruments are used to pay creditors. Davis is a national leader of the movement, traveling nationwide to teach different theories and ideologies of the movement. Rice allegedly claims that he is a lawyer and Rabbi, and uses his law school education and businesses to promote his sovereign ideas and to gain credibility in the community.  

Minnesota Man Sentenced for Money Laundering and Wire Fraud
On March 18, 2013, in Minneapolis, Minn., Jason Michael Meyer, of Rochester, Minn., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Meyer pleaded guilty on September 18, 2012, to money laundering and wire fraud. In his plea agreement, he admitted to starting an investment company, 3 Hooligans Investment Properties, LLC, in 2007. Meyer represented himself as an experienced investor and began soliciting people to invest their money with 3 Hooligans. He promised his clients both significant and rapid returns for their investments, with little or no risk. Meyer deposited their money into a bank account he controlled. Instead of investing their money, however, Meyer often used the funds to pay for personal expenses, including house payments and family vacations. To continue the scheme, Meyer found new clients and used their money to pay previous clients. Until the fraudulent scheme was discovered in 2010, Meyer participated in approximately 30 transactions of money laundering and 30 transactions of wire fraud, which together, resulted in losses exceeding $11 million.

Four Co-Conspirators Sentenced in Idaho Drug Case
On March 8, 2013, in Pocatello, Idaho, four co-conspirators were sentenced for their roles in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization. Antonio Javier Mendoza, of Shelley, Idaho, was sentenced to 96 months in prison, five years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Fabiola Esmerelda Marin Castro, a Mexican national formerly living in Rexburg, Idaho, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, fined $300 and ordered to forfeit $83,575 and two vehicles. Daniel Quiroz, a Mexican national formerly residing in Rexburg, was sentenced to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Quiroz will be subject to deportation following his release from prison. Abel Garcia, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was sentenced to one month in prison, two years of supervised release and fined $750. According to the plea agreements, from June 2005 through January 2012, these individuals and others entered into a conspiracy to possess and distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine in the Idaho Falls area. In addition to distributing methamphetamine, several defendants laundered proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine, and made false loan application to local banks to further the laundering of money. During the course of the conspiracy, the defendants obtained in excess of $500,000 from the distribution of methamphetamine. Nine other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. One defendant is a fugitive.

Arizona Woman Sentenced on Mail Fraud and Illegal Monetary Transaction Charges  
On March 8, 2013, in Tucson, Ariz., Mayra Jeannette Angulo was sentenced to 22 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $953,176 in restitution. Angulo pleaded guilty on October 30, 2012 to mail fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction. According to the plea agreement, Angulo was employed as a representative of Woodbury Financial Services selling life insurance and brokerage services to clients in the Republic of Mexico and the United States. Beginning in 2002, Angulo and her ex-husband Mark Ophelia Islas embezzled clients' insurance premium payments for their personal use by creating a corporation, International Financial Services Group. They opened a bank account in the corporation's name to deposit the money they embezzled. They then transferred the money to personal bank accounts for their own personal benefit. To cover their actions, Angulo and Islas opened numerous postal boxes in the names of clients and changed the clients' addresses in the system so the statements would be sent to the postal boxes not the true clients. Additionally, Angulo and Islas created false account statements for the victim clients which were hand-delivered. They also made minimal payments to the clients' life insurance policies to keep them from lapsing.    

Man Sentenced for Narcotics and Money Laundering Conspiracies
On March 6, 2013, in Waco, Texas, Eliseo Montes, Jr. was sentenced to 240 months in prison, five years of supervised release and fined $2,000.  On December 20, 2012, Montes was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  According to court documents, beginning in October 2004, Montes and others began to acquire quantities of controlled substances for distribution. Once the controlled substances were sold and the currency collected, Montes, and other members of the organization, used the banking system or the bulk transportation of currency to transfer the currency.  The proceeds were used to further the ongoing illegal activity and purchase assets, some of which were placed in nominee names to conceal their true ownership. 

Alabama Man Sentenced for Laundering Money
On February 28, 2013, in Birmingham, Ala., Paul Haskell Lane, Jr., of Pelham, was sentenced to 37 months in prison his role in a scheme that collected more than $400,000 for expenses of a lawsuit that never existed. Paul Lane was also ordered to pay $343,900 in restitution to 20 victims and forfeit $10,500 to the government as proceeds of the illegal activity. Paul Lane pleaded guilty in August 2012 to the money laundering charge.  According to court documents, in late 2009, Lane and his daughter were separately indicted for their roles in a plan to get people in other states to wire money to Lane’s bank account. Those who sent money were led to believe it would go toward costs for a personal-injury lawsuit filed by the Lane family after Katherine Lane suffered a brutal assault at work. The Lanes represented that proceeds from the lawsuit would be used to repay people who donated. Most who provided money also believed that they would get back from the Lanes more money than they sent. Katherine Lane, however, had not been assaulted and the Lanes had no lawsuit. Over the course of several years, Lane took the money that was wired into his account and gave it to his daughter. Katherine Lane pleaded guilty in 2010 to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.  She was sentenced in 2011 to 87 months in prison.

Professional Counselor Sentenced for Illegal Distribution of Prescription Drugs
On February 25, 2013, in Springfield, Mo., Tammy L. Neil, of Carthage, Mo., was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for her role in conspiracies to illegally distribute more than $1.5 million in prescription drugs and to engage in money laundering. Neil was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and forfeit cash and property representing the proceeds of her criminal conduct.  According to court documents, Neil pleaded guilty on July 18, 2012 to her role in a conspiracy to illegally distribute phentermine from January 1, 2005, through March 26, 2008. Neil also admitted that she participated in a conspiracy to engage in money laundering during the same timeframe by aiding and abetting others to conduct financial transactions that involved the proceeds of the illegal distribution of prescription drugs.

Two Outlaws Motorcycle Club Members Sentenced on Federal Charges
On February 21, 2013, in Indianapolis, Ind., Kent D. Whitinger was sentenced to 87 months in prison and five years of supervised release under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute for his role in the operation of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club (OMC). Steve A. Reynolds, of Fort Wayne, was sentenced to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release for his role. According to court documents, members of the Indianapolis OMC were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity in Indianapolis and across the state. Whitinger and Reynolds both pleaded guilty to a variety of crimes in furtherance of the OMC. Whitinger, a member of the Indianapolis chapter of the club, engaged in money laundering, gambling, extortion, witness tampering and cocaine distribution. Reynolds, a member of the Fort Wayne chapter, engaged in extortion and the distribution of prescription drugs.

Ohio Man Sentenced for Fraud and Money Laundering
On February 21, 2013, in Dayton, Ohio, Omar Yahya, formerly known as Darnell Bernard Watts, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Yahya along with three co-defendants was ordered to repay $3.8 million, forfeit their interests in approximately $80,209 in bank accounts and cash. Yahya pleaded guilty on October 11, 2012, to conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money. Between 2009 and 2011, Yahya and others conspired to traffic in electronic benefit cards in order to defraud the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The conspiracy caused more than $3.8 million in criminal proceeds in the form of USDA SNAP wire transfers to be deposited into various bank accounts and more than $1.2 million in criminal proceeds in the form of currency withdrawals to be made from the store’s accounts. The other three defendants were also sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison on charges of conspiracy and conspiracy to launder money.

Illinois Man Sentenced for Money Laundering
On February 14, 2013, in Benton Ill., Kerry L. Smith, of Carbondale, Ill., was sentenced 150 months in prison, five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $41,802 restitution.  In addition, Smith was ordered to pay a monetary forfeiture judgment in the amount of $790,020, as well as forfeit eight homes, two vehicles, $10,576 in cash and other personal property. Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana, engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction, concealment of material information from the Social Security Administration (SSA), and making a false statement.  According to evidence at the hearings, from at least May 2001 through February 2007, Smith and others were involved in the distribution of marijuana. On December 6, 2007, Smith used over $12,000 of marijuana proceeds to purchase a vehicle. During this time, Smith also concealed information from the SSA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that he was working and acquiring real estate and other assets. This concealment allowed Smith to fraudulently collect Supplemental Security Income and food stamps.

Vice-President of Car Dealership Sentenced for Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking for the Gulf Cartel
On February 4, 2013, in Orlando, Fla., Eladio Marroquin-Medina, of Apopka, Fla., was sentenced to 72 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.  Medina was the vice-president of JM2 Auto Sales located in Apopka, Florida. According to court documents, Medina and Joel Torres, the president of JM2, laundered narcotics proceeds for the Gulf Cartel at their car dealership. The Gulf Cartel was a drug trafficking organization based out of Mexico. As payment for vehicles, Medina and Torres received money that was derived from narcotics sales. These vehicles were sent back to members of the Cartel in Texas and also used by local Cartel members in Florida. From October 26, 2010 to November 16, 2010, one Cartel member brought more than $115,000 in cash into JM2 for the purchase of vehicles.  Joel Torres was previously convicted of money laundering and failure to file IRS Form 8300 and awaits sentencing.  

Former Convenience Store Owner Sentenced for Food Stamp Fraud, Wire Fraud and Unlicensed Money Transmitting
On January 25, 2013, in Fort Worth, Texas, Ali Mohamud, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,418,027 in restitution. Mohamud pleaded guilty in October 2012 to seven counts of food stamp fraud, five counts of wire fraud and one count of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business. According to court documents, Mohamud owned a grocery store in Arlington, and participated in the United States Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the “Food Stamp Program.” Beginning in 2009, Mohamud exchanged food stamp benefits for cash or wired money to other individuals in Somalia using food stamp benefits. From September 2008 through February 2010, Mohamud wired thousands of dollars from an EBT management for retailers, to his bank in Arlington.

San Diego Man Sentenced for Money Laundering and Other Charges
On January 24, 2013, in San Diego, Calif., Joshua John Hester, of San Diego, Calif., was sentenced to 100 months in prison for conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to maintain drug-related premises and other charges. According to court documents, Hester admitted that he was the silent owner of two marijuana dispensaries where he made millions of dollars in the retail sale of marijuana. Hester originally used a supplier to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of high-quality marijuana and laundered millions of dollars of profits. When his supplier was arrested, Hester opened dispensaries and started selling and manufacturing his own marijuana and purchased bulk quantity from others. Hester also admitted that he laundered over $2 million in connection with the purchase of a residence in Rancho Santa Fe, California, where he also manufactured marijuana. Hester also agreed to forfeit over $575,000 in assets, including cash, vehicles, and jewelry.

California Man Sentenced on Drug Charges and Structuring Financial Transactions
On January 23, 2013, in Sacramento, Calif., Charles Miller Hilkey Jr., of the Nevada City area, was sentenced 49 months in prison and ordered to forfeit 25 different pieces of property in Oregon and California worth more than $2.4 million. Hilkey pleaded guilty on February 21, 2012 in connection with the cultivation of marijuana and structuring cash transactions to avoid reporting requirements. According to court documents, Hilkey and others were involved in a four-year conspiracy to cultivate and sell marijuana. Between 2006 and 2009, Hilkey structured more than $850,000 in cash deposits with the intent of evading reporting requirements. He admitted that the funds he structured either were proceeds of marijuana cultivation or were intended to promote marijuana cultivation. By 2009, Hilkey was the organizer of a well-concealed and well-funded marijuana operation. He had several marijuana grow sites under his control, he used straw owners to separate himself from a number of those grows, and he regularly used underlings to sell his marijuana, bringing in tens-of-thousands of dollars with each sale. In September 2009, investigators seized evidence of more than 200 marijuana plants, several pounds of processed marijuana, marijuana growing equipment, a firearm and ammunition, and more than $143,000 in cash on properties controlled by Hilkey.

Pain Clinic Owner and Physician Sentenced for Prescription Drug and Money Laundering Conspiracies
On January 18, 2013, in Pensacola, Fla., Dennis M. Caroni, of Los Angeles, Calif., and Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo, of Bradenton, Fla., were sentenced for their roles in running illegal pill mill pain clinics and conspiring to unlawfully launder the proceeds of their prescription drug distribution violations. Caroni was sentenced to 240 months in prison. DiLeo was sentenced to 24 months in prison and one year of home confinement. Following a six-week trial in October and November 2011, the defendants were found guilty of conspiring to unlawfully distribute prescription painkillers and conspiring to launder the proceeds. According to court documents, Caroni was the owner and operator of Global pain management clinics in Pensacola and the New Orleans area between 2004 and 2008. Dileo was the part-owner of one of the clinics and full-time prescribing physician.

Ohio Auto Dealer Sentenced for Money Laundering and Falsifying Tax Returns  
On January 11, 2013, in Dayton, Ohio, Earl Clark, of Franklin, Ohio, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. In addition, Clark was ordered to forfeit two bank accounts containing $353,211 and $33,388, plus $21,524 in U.S. currency, nine automobiles, and a trailer, and to pay $80,000 in restitution to the IRS. According to court documents, Clark owned and operated Clark’s Auto Sales and assisted several individuals in concealing their assets, which represented the proceeds of illegal drug sales. Between 2007 and October 2010, Clark sold cars to drug dealers, but titled the cars in the names of individuals other than the drug dealers in order to help conceal ownership of the vehicles. He also placed false liens of the vehicles to prevent law enforcement from trying to seize the property as proceeds of drug trafficking. Clark laundered the proceeds from the illegal auto sales by depositing cash, totaling between $120,000 and $200,000, into his bank account. Additionally, Clark earned significant income between 2004 and 2009 from the sale of fireworks and explosive materials. Clark willfully failed to report at least $80,000 in income per year during each of these tax periods.

Cleveland Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Money Laundering
On January 10, 2013, Zrino Jukic, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.7 million in restitution on charges of bank fraud and money laundering.  Sccording to court documents, Jukic, co-owner of the Zlato Group, engaged in a scheme to defraud the St. Paul Croatian Federal Credit Union by providing false information in connection with approximately 11 loan applications. The proceeds of these fraudulent loans were used to allow Jukic and others, through the Zlato Group, to invest in certain business ventures.  Jukic also engaged in a money laundering transaction by transferring fraudulently obtained funds from a Zlato Group bank account to his own bank account, according to court documents.

Leader of Nevada–Alaska Oxycodone Ring Sentenced on Drug and Money Laundering Charges
On January 3, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nev., Nicholas Ghafouria was sentenced to 180 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $1.2 million in cash and property. Ghafouria pleaded guilty on October 12, 2012 to conspiracy, drug and money laundering charges. According to court documents, between May 2009 and October 2010, Ghafouria organized and led a group of individuals who distributed over 4,000 oxycodone pills in Alaska and laundered at least $1.2 million in cash proceeds. Ghafouria and his co-conspirators used various ways to get the drugs to Alaska, including sending them in packages and transporting them on airplane flights. Ghafouria sold the pills for approximately $65 each in Alaska. Co-conspirators in Alaska either provided money directly to couriers who delivered it to Ghafouria in Las Vegas, or they deposited money into bank accounts in Alaska which was withdrawn in Las Vegas by individuals under Ghafouria’s direction.

Rabbi and Brooklyn Man Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy
On December 27, 2012, in Trenton, N.J., Lavel Schwartz, a rabbi based in Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. On January 3, 2013, in Trenton, N.J., David S. Goldhirsh, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $154,289. According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in May 2008, Schwartz and his brother, Rabbi Mordchai Fish, met with Solomon Dwek. For a fee of approximately 10 percent, Fish and Schwartz agreed to launder and conceal Dwek’s funds through a series of purported charities, also known as “gemachs.” Fish would instruct Dwek to make checks payable to various “gemachs” including Boyoner Gemilas Chesed (BGC), which was operated by Goldhirsh, who provided cash directly to Fish and Dwek. Schwartz admitted that prior to laundering Dwek’s funds, Dwek informed him that the funds that he sought to launder were the proceeds of Dwek’s purported illegal businesses, which included the trafficking in counterfeit goods. Schwartz admitted that, despite knowing the illicit nature of the funds, he engaged in approximately 10 money laundering transactions with Dwek.

Defendant Sentenced for Role in Investment Fraud Scheme
On December 20, 2012, in Missoula, Mont., Shanna Krista Raymond, of Oregon, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,500,000 in restitution. Raymond pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. According to court documents, in early 2008, Raymond learned of a purported high-yield investment through an associate. The investment was to return a large amount of money over a relatively short amount of time and involved Dan Two Feathers, who would invest the funds. Raymond was interested in promoting the investment and met with several investors or potential investors. Raymond received in her bank account a total of $900,000. She sent $500,000 from her bank account in Portland, Oregon, to Two Feathers’ bank account and used the remaining $400,000 for other purposes.

New Jersey Man Sentenced for Money Laundering
On December 19, 2012, in Newark, N.J., Juan Carlos Done, of Morristown, N.J., was sentenced to 92 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his involvement in a conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds from 2007 through June 2009. According to court documents and statements made in court, Done agreed to conduct financial transactions with drug proceeds in a manner intended to conceal the source of the funds. He and others made anonymous cash deposits of drug proceeds into various bank accounts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. The amount of these deposits was intended to avoid federal transaction reporting requirements. Done’s brother, Enrique Done, was previously sentenced to 75 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess heroin with intent to distribute in New Jersey and elsewhere.

Former President of CORF Licensing Services Sentenced on Conspiracy and Money Laundering Charges
On December 11, 2012, in Phoenix, Ariz., David Steven Goldfarb, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $19,567,512 in restitution. Goldfarb pleaded guilty on September 19, 2012, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and transactional money laundering for his role in a multi-million dollar investment fraud scheme. Goldfarb, along with co-defendants, owned and operated CORF Licensing Services, LP (CLS) and CORF Management Services, LP (CMS) from 1999 until May 2003, when the companies declared bankruptcy. Goldfarb served as the president of both companies. During the life of CLS and CMS, the defendants convinced hundreds of investors to contract with CLS to establish a for-profit Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility, which they claimed would provide an alternative to hospitals for rehab services. For an investment fee of $100,000 to $165,000, CLS was supposed to establish a profitable, Medicare-certified, business for the investor. The defendants entered into 338 contracts and collected over $40,000,000. However, CLS was unable to establish medical businesses for over two thirds of its clients. In addition, at the facilities CLS did establish, its clients were losing substantial sums of money. Despite these problems, Goldfarb and his partners convinced hundreds of investors to pay CLS through an elaborate fraudulent scheme. Goldfarb and his co-defendants placed ads in newspapers and magazines that falsely represented that an investor could expect to make $450,000 in net profit during the first year. Goldfarb and his co-defendants held sales seminars at an upscale and exclusive country club in Scottsdale, Ariz., to convey the impression that CLS and its existing clients/investors were financially successful. Goldfarb and his co-defendants gave prospective investors a false impression that CLS clients were successful and were collecting more than $1,000,000 a year. As part of the fraud scheme, investors were directed to speak to owners who were identified as “independent” references. Goldfarb and his co-defendants paid the “independent” references approximately $2,000,000 to provide misleading information. When speaking to prospective investors, the “independent” references falsely confirmed the financial representations Goldfarb and his co-defendants had made. Goldfarb received over $3,000,000 from CLS during the life of the company.

West Virginia Man Sentenced on Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Charges
On December 3, 2012, in Martinsburg, W.Va., David F. Brackett, Jr., of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, was sentenced to 282 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Brackett pleaded guilty on August 27, 2012, to wire fraud and money laundering. According to court documents, Brackett obtained “loan” money from victims and falsely promising to repay the victims with substantial lottery winnings that he had never won. Brackett also fraudulently obtained money by making materially false statements about his assets and expected profitability of his business ventures. In total, Brackett fraudulently obtained over $5.5 million from his victims and laundered his money through a variety of bank transactions involving different banks and accounts.

Former Penn State Professor Sentenced for Misappropriation of Federal Grant Funds
On November 30, 2012, in Harrisburg, Pa., Craig Grimes, a former Pennsylvania State University professor, was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay $640,660 in restitution. On January 31, 2012, Grimes was charged in a three-count Information with wire fraud, false statements, and money laundering. During the time period contained in the Information, Grimes was a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. According to court documents, between June 30, 2006 and February 1, 2011, Grimes defrauded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of federal grant monies. The NIH provides funding for medical research through grants. Grimes, acting through his solely-owned company, SentechBiomed, requested a $1,196,359 grant from NIH. The NIH funded the clinical trial. In the application, Grimes specifically represented to the NIH that he would direct approximately $509,274 to a Medical Center to conduct clinical research. However, the money was never paid. Instead, the grant funds were misappropriated, in part, by Grimes for his own personal use. The clinical studies/trials were not performed. Grimes also made false statements to the United States Department of Energy in connection with a second federal grant. In August 2009, Grimes completed a grant application seeking a $1,908,732 from the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E). Due to the limited amount of funds available for research, ARPA-E seeks to avoid funding research already funded by other government and private entities. It requires applicants for grants to disclose other funding sources. In the application Grimes completed and submitted to ARPA-E, he stated there was no other funding, when, in fact, he had received a grant for the same research from the National Science Foundation.

Former Executive Director of Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission Sentenced on Federal Charges
On November 29, 2012, in Anchorage, Alaska, Maggie Ahmaogak was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay $393,000 in restitution. Ahmaogak was sentence on two counts of intentional misapplication of funds from an organization receiving federal grant money and one count of money laundering. According to court documents, Ahmaogak was the executive director for the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC) from 1990 until April 2007. AEWC receives funding from several sources, with the majority of its budget coming from grants issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Between 2004 and April 2007, AEWC received federal grant funds from NOAA totaling approximately $2.3 million. Ahmaogak intentionally misapplied $393,000 of AEWC funds, including federal grant money, to purchase luxury items and for gambling.  

Former Kentucky Fire Chief Sentenced for Embezzlement and Money Laundering
On November 19, 2012, in Louisville, Ky., Paul Barth was sentenced to 41 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $190,000 in restitution to the Crusade for Children and $8,277 in restitution to the McMahan Fire Protection District (MFPD). Barth pleaded guilty on June 21, 2012 to mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. According to court documents, from January 2001 through November 2009, Barth, while employed as the Chief of the MFPD, used money donated to MFPD and the Crusade for Children for his own personal use. Barth deposited approximately $218,995 into a bank account that he solely controlled in the name of the Crusade. He then used the majority of these funds to pay for personal expenses that included Disney World vacations, Corvette Club expenses, and vehicle property taxes. Barth also used the MFPD credit card to pay for more than $36,000 in expenses.  

Missouri Man Sentenced on Money Laundering Charge
On November 15 ,2012, in Springfield, Mo., Richard B. Gillette, of Springfield, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,292,256 in restitution. On May 23, 2012, Gillette pleaded guilty to money laundering, which was related to a mortgage fraud scheme. According to court documents, in May 2006, Gillette obtained two loans totaling $1,125,000 from Homecomings Financial to refinance existing loans on his residence. In the loan applications, Gillette claimed that his monthly income was $35,000; in reality, it was substantially less than that amount.

Two Texas Men Sentenced for Money Laundering
On October 30, 2012, in Laredo, Texas, Nelson Casarez and Miguel Santos were sentenced their roles in laundering millions of drug proceeds for the Los Zetas organization. Casarez was sentenced to 108 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $$2,999,310. Santos was sentenced to 72 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $4 million.  According to court documents, Casarez provided a tractor trailer yard in Laredo for use by Los Zetas as a receiving station for other co-conspirators who transported bulk cash drug proceeds from the Chicago, Ill., area to Laredo. Casarez then coordinated the receipt and transfer of bulk cash drug proceeds to other co-conspirators who would transport it to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.  Casarez was involved in the laundering of approximately $5 million. Santos was a commercial truck driver who transported drug proceeds from the Chicago area to Laredo. Santos transported drug proceeds on at least two occasions in 2010 with each bulk shipment totaling approximately $2 million.

Former General Manager of West Coast Car Company Sentenced
On October 16, 2012, in Boise, Idaho, Kurt Bates, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 for misprision of a felony. Bates, former general manager of West Coast Car Company, pleaded guilty to a superseding information on June 5, 2012. According to the plea agreement, Bates admitted that on September 16, 2008, he became aware that one or more persons committed the felony crime of money laundering. These individuals conspired to conduct a sale of two automobiles for cash represented to be the proceeds of drug dealing activities. Bates admitted that he failed to notify law enforcement officers or other authorities that this crime had been committed. Bates was interviewed by law enforcement personnel about the money laundering activities on January 22, 2009, and failed to answer their questions truthfully. Bates’ co-defendant, Joseph Monte Johnson, formerly of Idaho Falls, pleaded guilty in August 2011 to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Johnson, the former finance manager of West Coast Car Company, is currently serving 40 months in federal prison.

Operator of Illegal Gambling Business Sentenced
On October 10, 2012, in Urbana, Ill., Jimmy A. LaCost, of Kankakee, Ill., was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.  LaCost was convicted in April 2012 for structuring financial transactions and laundering the proceeds of his illegal gambling business. LaCost’s son, Michael, was sentenced to 12 months of home confinement with electronic monitoring. LaCost Amusements, Inc., was sentenced to three years of probation. The court also ordered Jimmy LaCost, Michael LaCost and LaCost Amusements, Inc., to jointly forfeit $4,285,829 in illegal gambling proceeds, 300 illegal video gambling machines, and nine separate properties. In April 2012, a jury found Jimmy LaCost guilty of 54 counts of structuring financial transactions and one count of money laundering. The jury found that Jimmy LaCost structured approximately $6.4 million in cash deposits over four years, from January 2005 to July 2009, to evade Currency Transaction Reporting requirements. In addition, the jury found Jimmy LaCost guilty of money laundering related to the bank deposits of proceeds from the operation of the illegal gambling business.

North Carolina Man Sentenced in Illegal Credit Scheme
On October 4, 2012, in Raleigh, N.C., James Walter Goddard, aka Walter James Karbley, Jr., was sentenced to 224 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Goddard was also ordered to pay $1,112,132 in restitution and a $900 special assessment. On May 5, 2011, Goddard pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, three counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of aggravated identity theft.  According to the indictment, from 2005 to 2009, Goddard submitted hundreds of false credit card and lines of credit applications in the names of multiple individuals or businesses to various banks. Goddard, who called himself the Credit Doctor of North Carolina, met with individuals/business owners during which time they provided him some personal information. Goddard touted his specialized skills included obtaining credit for newly formed businesses as well as credit repair charging a 15 percent fee on each credit line he obtained. The individuals believed they were only going to get one or two credit cards. However, Goddard submitted falsified applications and was approved for between 10-20 cards on the individuals’ behalf. Through the use of a return preparer, fictitious tax returns were also created. Goddard, collecting his 15 percent by charging the credit cards under the merchant name, Goddard, Inc., laundered over $950,000 in merchant payments to his bank accounts from 2006-2009. In addition, from 2005 to 2011, Goddard has caused over $4,000,000 in credit application and wire fraud.  Also, the indictment alleged Goddard applied for and was approved for 14 business credit cards in which he overstated his income and/or falsified his date of business establishment.

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