Luisito Espanola, a 65-year-old resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been sentenced to 32 months in federal prison. This follows his convictions for wire fraud and money laundering. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Sara Darrow on May 21, 2025. Espanola is required to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons by June 23, 2025.
The case against Espanola involved fraudulent activities dating back to December 2020. Evidence presented during a one-week jury trial revealed that Espanola sent fake emails to the City of Moline on two occasions—December 2 and December 22, 2020. These emails requested changes in ACH payment information for two vendors doing business with the city. The fraudulent actions resulted in a financial loss of $404,764.59 for the City of Moline.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass expressed gratitude towards law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation: “We thank the thorough and professional efforts of the Moline Police Department and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter and bringing this fraudster to justice.”
Espanola faced potential penalties of up to twenty years in prison for each conviction related to fraud and money laundering.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation into Espanola's activities. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Bass and Jennifer L. Mathew.
