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Pablo Estrada, 26, of Florence, received the proceeds through various scams over the course of 2½ years, including one in which victims received an unexpected notification that they'd won a large sum in a lottery, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
They were required to pay fees and expenses, however, before their winnings could be released, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey said.
Many fell for the scheme, Sellinger said.
Estrada dumped the money into various bank accounts that he'd created for that sole purpose before moving it around, the U.S. attorney said.
He kept a percentage for himself, Sellinger said, without disclosing who got the rest of the money.
Estrada took a deal from the government rather than risk the consequences of a trial, pleading guilty to money laundering in U.S. District Court in Camden this past week, Sellinger said.
Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb approved the deal and scheduled sentencing for Dec. 19.
Sellinger credited members of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, along with special agents from IRS-Criminal Investigation and his office, with the investigation leading to the plea, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of his Criminal Division in Camden.
He also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutors Office and Florence Township police.
More developments are expected in the case.
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