A Canadian citizen, Houssam El-Atat, 44, of Montreal, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges in federal court after being extradited from Spain. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York. El-Atat faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, the case began in February 2021 when an individual in Buffalo (referred to as Victim 1) communicated with a marine sales company (Vendor 1) about purchasing a boat. Their emails covered details such as specifications and pricing. In March 2021, Victim 1 received what appeared to be legitimate wiring instructions from Vendor 1’s email address and transferred $295,373.75 through a Bank of America account.
Later, Victim 1 learned that Vendor 1 never received the payment and discovered that his own email account had been compromised during their correspondence.
An FBI investigation revealed that the bank account receiving the funds belonged to an individual identified as A.Z., who was unaware of any wrongdoing. A.Z. told investigators he believed he was receiving repayment for a debt owed to his late father and subsequently sent $180,200 of the funds to an account at La Caisse Centrale Desjardins Bank in Canada at another individual's request. Records show these funds were quickly distributed among several apparent shell companies before reaching El-Atat.
"The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the supervision of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera," stated DiGiacomo's office. "Additional assistance was provided by the Sûreté du Québec Provincial Police."
Sentencing is set for April 29, 2026 before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
