Tag:

Money Laundering

FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says
FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says An Iranian operative and two associates living in America have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting United States citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump. Federal authorities have charged Farhad Shakeri, an alleged operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two New York City associates in a plot to assassinate a US citizen critical of the Iranian government.  The case highlights the continued threat posed by Iran’s attempts to silence dissidents and even target top US. officials. According to the Department of Justice criminal complai…
Courier Involved In Gold Bar Scam Targeting Maryland Elder Arrested Boarding Flight To Ireland Courier Involved In Gold Bar Scam Targeting Maryland Elder Arrested Boarding Flight To Ireland
Courier Involved In Gold Bar Scam Targeting Maryland Elder Arrested Boarding Flight To Ireland A 23-year-old man from Illinois has become the second apprehended for his role in a government-imposter-related gold bar scam targeting a Montgomery County resident. Neel Patel, of Carol Stream, joined California native Wenhui Sun behind bars after a woman was bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of the scheme, according to police. In March, a woman advised investigators that she had been contacted by a fraudster alleging to be with  Office of the Inspector General – Federal Trade Commission. She was instructed that she was the victim of identity theft that laun…
Purported Psychic Masterminded Scheme To Bilk Love-Struck Maryland Man Into $4M Scam: Feds Purported Psychic Masterminded Scheme To Bilk Love-Struck Maryland Man Into $4M Scam: Feds
Purported Psychic Masterminded Scheme To Bilk Love-Struck Maryland Man Into $4M Scam: Feds The purported psychic who masterminded an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme that resulted in a Maryland man embezzling more than $4 million from his DC employer will spend time in prison, federal authorities announced. Gina Rita Russell, 35, formerly of New York and Los Angeles, was sentenced to 125 months in prison following an elaborate scheme involving family members, one of whom threatened the Maryland man's young children. According to prosecutors, Russell met a New York woman and performed a psychic reading on her, convincing her that bad things would happen…
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Pleads Guilty To Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Pleads Guilty To Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Pleads Guilty To Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds The trailblazing founder of Casa Ruby, a DC-based non-profit that had provided services to the LGBTQ+ community admitted to stealing at least $150,000 in COVID relief funds and stashing it in Central America for her personal use, authorities announced Ruby Corado, 53, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in US District Court to diverting the taxpayer-backed emergency funds to private off-shore bank accounts, which then was used for her own gain. She was charged in March with bank fraud, wire fraud, laundering of monetary instruments, monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, and fai…
Maryland Money Man Admits To $1.8M Laundering Conspiracy Involving Mexican Cartel: Feds Maryland Money Man Admits To $1.8M Laundering Conspiracy Involving Mexican Cartel: Feds
Maryland Money Man Admits To $1.8M Laundering Conspiracy Involving Mexican Cartel: Feds A Maryland man who laundered nearly $2 million in drug money for a purported member of a Mexican cartel is facing decades in prison after copping to the crime, federal authorities announced. Glen Burnie resident Gerrod Davis, 46, pleaded guilty this week to his role in a conspiracy to launder money produced by drug sales throughout the region over the course of nearly a year. According to Davis' plea, he handled bulk cash narcotics proceeds while his associates were responsible for street-level distribution of narcotics.   Members of the drug trafficking organization shared …
Gold-Bar Scam Totaling Nearly $1 Million Lands CA Man With Charges In Montgomery County: Police Gold-Bar Scam Totaling Nearly $1 Million Lands CA Man With Charges In Montgomery County: Police
Gold-Bar Scam Totaling Nearly $1 Million Lands CA Man With Charges In Montgomery County: Police A man who made nearly $1 million targeting elderly victims in a gold-bar scam was arrested in Montgomery County, authorities announced Friday, March 22. The investigation began in early March, when a victim reported being contacted by a man who identified himself a member of the Federal Trade Commission, MCPD said. The woman was advised that she had been the victim of an identity theft leading to a federal investigation involving drugs and money laundering.  She had been instructed to transfer all of her assets into gold bars to be picked up by a courier to be taken to an “FBI Agent” …
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Charged For Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Charged For Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds
Founder Of LGBTQ+ Non-Profit In DC Charged For Fraud After 'Unexpected Return' To US: Feds The trailblazing founder of Casa Ruby, a DC-based non-profit that provided services to the LGBTQ+ community is facing charges for alleged fraud and money laundering, according to prosecutors. Ruby Corado, 53, made her initial court appearance in DC on Wednesday to face charges for allegedly defrauding Paycheck Protection and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs, and money laundering after fleeing the country, authorities announced. Specifically, Corado is accused of diverting at least $150,000 of $1.3 million in taxpayer-backed emergency relief funds, intended for the organi…
Father-Son Scammers In Maryland Sentenced For Laundering Millions Through Drugs, Bitcoin: Feds Father-Son Scammers In Maryland Sentenced For Laundering Millions Through Drugs, Bitcoin: Feds
Father-Son Scammers In Maryland Sentenced For Laundering Millions Through Drugs, Bitcoin: Feds A 72-year-old Maryland father and his 38-year-old son have been sentenced for a money laundering conspiracy involving Bitcoins and Xanax, federal authorities announced. Joseph Farace, 72, of Sparks, Maryland, received a 19-month federal prison sentence that will be followed by two years of supervised release.  His son, Ryan Farace, of Reisterstown, a previously convicted felon, got a 54-month sentence, US Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron said in a joint release. Ryan Farace was first convicted for a scheme to manufacture and sell Xanax in exchange for Bitcoin throu…
Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme In MD/DC: Feds Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme In MD/DC: Feds
Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme In MD/DC: Feds Henry Hill immortalized the line "as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster."  That mantra didn't work out well for a pair of brothers - one of whom pretended to be a New York mobster - to get a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his employer in Washington, DC.  New York native Corry Blue Evans, 31, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme that involved several other close-knit co-conspirators who worked to exploit the multi-million dollar scheme. The sentence comes y…
Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says
Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says An alleged drug trafficker who goes by many names is on the run from the FBI after helping to run a massive scheme throughout the DMV region. Samuel Lee Rose, 44, who moved kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and crack from Maryland to West Virginia is among the state's most wanted after running what federal authorities described as "a sophisticated operation" that lined his pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rose stands accused of his role in a conspiracy to traffic large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown into Berkeley County in West…
16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds 16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds
16 Indicted In Crime Ring Targeting Asian-American Jewelers Across Mid-Atlantic: Feds An indictment of 16 members of a violent mid-Atlantic crime ring has been unsealed and the federal agencies are naming names.  Of the 16, eight of the alleged crime ring members were arrested in the morning on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, police in Fairfax County, Virginia announced later that day.  They were all arrested in connection to a violent crime spree that took place between Jan. 7, 2022, through Jan. 27, 2023.  The crime ring members were all from Maryland and the District of Columbia. They met with their accused leader – Trevor Wright, also known as “Taliban Glizzy” …
Former Maryland-Based Lawyer Accused Of Stealing Near $4M From Clients, Employees: DOJ Former Maryland-Based Lawyer Accused Of Stealing Near $4M From Clients, Employees: DOJ
Former Maryland-Based Lawyer Accused Of Stealing Near $4M From Clients, Employees: DOJ A California man has been charged after allegedly using funds owed to clients from his law firm in Prince George's County to pay for personal expenses, officials say. Matthew C. Browndorf, 51, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering arising from a scheme that defrauded clients more than $3.9 million. The licensed attorney was a partner at a California law firm as well as the CEO of Plutos Sama, LLC, a company organized in Delaware but principally located in California. Plutos Sama owned Prince George's County firm, BP Fisher Law Group LLP, prosecutors…
Maryland Men Convicted Of Running $13M Money Laundering Scheme Maryland Men Convicted Of Running $13M Money Laundering Scheme
Maryland Men Convicted Of Running $13M Money Laundering Scheme Two Maryland men have been convicted after running a $13 million business email compromise scheme, authorities say. Onyewuchi Victor Ibeh, 33, of Mitchellville, and Jason Eugene Joyner, 42, of Hyattsville, participated in the scheme to launder proceeds by infiltrating computer systems of victim companies through phishing and malware attacks, according to the Department of Justice. Once the pair would gain access to the accounts, prosecutors said they would pose as the victim's business partner and claim the bank account information has changed so the victim business sends money to accounts …
Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ
Special Deputy US Marshal Charged In Maryland For Laundering $1.9M During Romance Scam: DOJ A romantic scam artist from Upper Marlboro lured his way into nearly $2 million before being caught, authorities say. Isidore Iwuagwu, 35, has been federally charged for conspiring to commit money laundering related to multiple online relationship scams according to the Department of Justice. Iwuagwu was able to commit these crimes all while working security as a Special Deputy United States Marshal and Department of Justice contractor, prosecutors said. Iwuagwu allegedly contacted victims on social media platforms and dating sites, engaging in online relationships with them before asking …
Fired Baltimore PD Employee, Homicide Suspect Facing Federal Fraud Charges Fired Baltimore PD Employee, Homicide Suspect Facing Federal Fraud Charges
Fired Baltimore PD Employee, Homicide Suspect Facing Federal Fraud Charges A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a fired Baltimore civilian police employee once eyed as a homicide suspect with stealing his defunct business' tax prepare's identity to try to get COVID relief money. Dana Lamar Antonio Hayes, Jr., 37, submitted several bogus Economic Injury Disaster Relief(EIDL) loan applications and several Paycheck Protection Plan(PPP) loan applications to the Small Business Administration and two banks between March 2020 and Oct. 2021, according to the Department of Justice.    Hayes had been fired from his position as the chief of…
Baltimore Defense Attorney Sentenced For Laundering $1M Through Clients Drug Proceeds Baltimore Defense Attorney Sentenced For Laundering $1M Through Clients Drug Proceeds
Baltimore Defense Attorney Sentenced For Laundering $1M Through Clients Drug Proceeds A Baltimore defense attorney was sentenced to federal prison after laundering more than $1 million through drug proceeds from clients, announced authorities.  Kenneth Wendell Ravenell, 63, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit money laundering conspiracy charge after being convicted on Dec. 28, 2021, according to the Department of Justice. Ravenell had taken proceeds from clients and associates who engaged in drug trafficking and used bank accounts of the law firm to receive drug payments and make payments t…
Feds Charge MD Man In $246,390 401(k) Theft From NJ Employee Feds Charge MD Man In $246,390 401(k) Theft From NJ Employee
Feds Charge MD Man In $246,390 401(k) Theft From NJ Employee A Maryland man conspired with others to steal $246,390 from a New Jersey worker’s 401(k), federal authorities charged. Oladapo Sunday Ogunbiyi, 40, of Greenbelt, and others secretly tapped into the fund, added a bank account belonging to someone else and began steering money into it, an indictment returned by a grand jury in U.S. District Court alleges. “Ogunbiyi and others directed that the fraud proceeds be converted into cashier’s checks, which were provided to Ogunbiyi,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. “He then deposited the cashier’s checks into bank accounts under his control…
Major Drug Trafficker Admits Shipping 40 Pounds Of Heroin From Cali To NJ On Car Carrier Major Drug Trafficker Admits Shipping 40 Pounds Of Heroin From Cali To NJ On Car Carrier
Major Drug Trafficker Admits Shipping 40 Pounds Of Heroin From Cali To NJ On Car Carrier UPDATE: A major drug trafficker from Somerset County who led investigators on a high-speed chase admitted moving massive amounts of heroin into New Jersey, federal authorities said. Authorities targeted William T. Bouza, 45, of Watchung, in early 2019 after intercepting 33 pounds of heroin stashed in a secret compartment of a Mercedes shipped on a car carrier to New Jersey from California, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Bouza was waiting for the drugs in Union but bolted after sensing something fishy, an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Newark says. The following mont…
Cyber-Footsie Scammers From NJ, MD, VA Swindle $7 Million From Mostly Elderly Victims, Feds Say Cyber-Footsie Scammers From NJ, MD, VA Swindle $7 Million From Mostly Elderly Victims, Feds Say
Cyber-Footsie Scammers From NJ, MD, VA Swindle $7 Million From Mostly Elderly Victims, Feds Say Mostly elderly victims across the United States were conned out of a whopping $7 million by a quartet of romance scammers from New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia – all of whom were arrested by the FBI, authorities said. The victims sent the money to the imposters thinking that they were helping out love interests, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. They lost a lot. Arrested this past week, Sellinger said, were: Nana Yaw Marfo, 37, of Virginia, who was accused of receiving at least $4.7 million; Chevon Braxton, 42, of Maryland, who was accused of collecting at least $1.3 million; Will…
LOOKIN' FOR LOVE: Police Detective Sniffs Out Online Scam That Victimized Glen Rock Man, Others LOOKIN' FOR LOVE: Police Detective Sniffs Out Online Scam That Victimized Glen Rock Man, Others
Lookin' FOR Love: Police Detective Sniffs Out Online Scam That Victimized Glen Rock Man, Others A Glen Rock detective was in for a surprise when he traced an online scam that victimized a local man to a woman in Washington State. It turns out that person got scammed herself. Before he was done, Glen Rock Police Detective Sgt. James Calaski found three other victims who got taken by a money launderer who lives in Africa, Police Chief Dean Ackermann said. All of them were apparently looking for love. The con man had developed a virtual relationship with the 65-year-old Washington State woman, convincing her that he was a contractor flipping houses in Texas, Ackermann said. He the…
Feds: NJ Steel Drum Company Owner Admits Conning MD Manufacturer Out Of $20M Feds: NJ Steel Drum Company Owner Admits Conning MD Manufacturer Out Of $20M
Feds: NJ Steel Drum Company Owner Admits Conning MD Manufacturer Out Of $20M The owner of a New Jersey-based steel drum wholesaler admitted he conned a Maryland-based manufacturer out of nearly $20 million, federal authorities said. Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., 78, of Park Ridge, conspired with an employee of a New York company to produce bogus invoices for more drums than his Tunnel, Barrel & Drum Co, Inc. had delivered to the company's facility in Harford County, MD, U.S. Attorney for Maryland Erek L. Barron said. Urcioli, who's TBD's owner and president, split the excess funds he received with the employee -- who, in turn, gave 25% to a co-worker, Barron said.  …
Man Admits Role In NJ/NY Network That Laundered $27M For International Drug Cartels Man Admits Role In NJ/NY Network That Laundered $27M For International Drug Cartels
Man Admits Role In NJ/NY Network That Laundered $27M For International Drug Cartels The takedown of a New Jersey and New York network that laundered more than $27 million for Central and South American drug cartels has produced another guilty plea, federal authorities announced. Gilberto Martinez, 33, formerly of Clifton, "cleaned" more than $1 million himself, both by buying and directing others to buy cashier's checks using drug money, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Morristown police helped the DEA and IRS crack the case, in which more than 1,000 cashier’s checks were bought, he said. The buyers typically were paid a fee of $150 to $200 for each check…
GOTCHA! Teaneck Fugitive Accused Of Running Sex Trafficking Ring Captured At Newark Airport GOTCHA! Teaneck Fugitive Accused Of Running Sex Trafficking Ring Captured At Newark Airport
Gotcha! Teaneck Fugitive Accused Of Running Sex Trafficking Ring Captured At Newark Airport A fugitive from Bergen County wanted for running a massive sex-trafficking ring in North Jersey, Rockland and New York City was captured trying to re-enter the United States from Colombia, authorities confirmed. Birmania “Nancy” Rincon, 62, a Colombian national living in Teaneck, was among the ringleaders of a crew that forced dozens of women into prostitution, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. She was in the wind, however, when authorities seized 21 defendants during a series of early-morning raids at 19 homes and other locations in Bergen and Hudson counties exactly two weeks ag…
CRYPTO CRIME: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust CRYPTO CRIME: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust
Crypto Crime: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust The self-described “Crocodile of Wall Street” and her husband were arrested by federal agents in Manhattan on Tuesday, Feb. 8, on charges of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen in a bombshell hack of a virtual currency exchange. Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, 34, and Heather Rhiannon Morgan, a 31-year-old business blogger/rapper, weren’t charged in the 2016 theft from Bitfinex of what at the time was $71 million worth of cryptocurrency – now valued at $4.5 billion. They are charged with conspiring to (a) commit money laundering and (b) defraud the United States, …
Maryland Defense Attorney Convicted Of Laundering $1 Million In Drug Money Maryland Defense Attorney Convicted Of Laundering $1 Million In Drug Money
Maryland Defense Attorney Convicted Of Laundering $1 Million In Drug Money A defense attorney in Baltimore well-known for defending clients against fraud and drug charges has been convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to officials.  Kenneth Wendell Ravenell, 61, received drug proceeds from clients and associates who engaged in drug trafficking, the US Attorneys Office in the District of Maryland said. Ravenell also used bank accounts of the law firm where he practiced to launder more than a million dollars and used the law firm's bank accounts to receive drug payments and make payments to attorneys to represent m…