J. Bishop Grewell Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado | U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado
Juan Demetrio Villalpando Dominguez, a 65-year-old resident of California, has been sentenced to 38 months in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado reported the sentence following Villalpando Dominguez's guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The case involved extensive investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These agencies investigated Villalpando Dominguez's son, Juan Demetrio Villalpando Jr., also known as "Junior," and others. The investigation utilized two confidential sources who made controlled narcotics purchases linked to Mexico-based suppliers and associates in the Denver area.
The illicit proceeds collected by a confidential informant were packaged and sent to an uncharged individual, but the money's real recipient was Villalpando Dominguez. He subsequently arranged for his son to receive the funds in Mexico.
"Money laundering is a serious offense that enables drug traffickers to peddle their deadly wares," stated Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. "We will hold offenders accountable."
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Amanda Prestegard emphasized, "Facilitating drug trafficking by funneling illegal proceeds back to Mexico perpetuates the scourge of the drug epidemic in our communities." She acknowledged the collaborations that contributed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Mark Michalek, FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge, noted, "Dismantling cartels requires more than seizing drugs – it includes cutting off the flow of illicit money that fuels their operations." He reiterated the pivotal role of targeting the money laundering aspects in such networks.
The sentencing was overseen by United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Duncan and Michael Houlihan, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung, handled the prosecution.
This case results from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF aims to disrupt and dismantle high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and criminal organizations throughout the United States using a multi-agency approach.
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