A business owner from Victoria, Texas, has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracy. Jason Ashley Brannan, 48, pleaded guilty on November 5, 2025, to conspiring to commit money laundering.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales sentenced Brannan to 24 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. Brannan was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and agreed to forfeit $590,290.44.
Brannan operated J & B Cleaning Inc. and Hills Lawn & Tree Service in Victoria. According to court documents, between September 2023 and May 2024 he laundered approximately $590,000 and recruited two others into the scheme. He believed he was working on behalf of a cartel involved in heroin trafficking.
Authorities said Brannan wrote business checks with false memo lines such as “Poker Cash Game,” “Mexico Deer Lease,” and “Carbonia Duck Lodge Mexico.” He planned to claim that deposited cash came from gambling winnings if audited and also attempted to obtain kilogram quantities of cocaine.
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patti Booth and Tyler Foster prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas oversees prosecutions like this one as part of its mandate under the U.S. Department of Justice. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil cases for the government across its jurisdiction covering 43 counties with offices in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville.
Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the sentencing as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas—a position previously held by leaders including Alamdar Hamdani (2022-2025) and Ryan Patrick according to official records.
