A Uruguayan man pleaded guilty on Mar. 24 to agreeing to use an unlicensed money services business to move about $100,000 from the Dominican Republic into a U.S. bank account in violation of American sanctions relating to Venezuelan officials.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to prevent individuals from circumventing U.S. sanctions and using the financial system for illicit purposes.
According to court documents, Irazmar Carbajal De Jesus, 60, agreed with another person to transfer approximately $99,500 in cash delivered in the Dominican Republic into a specified bank account in Ft. Lauderdale. Law enforcement agents informed Carbajal De Jesus’s partner that the funds originated from a sanctioned Venezuelan government official who sought help moving them into the United States.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said, “This defendant agreed to move money tied to a sanctioned Venezuelan official into the United States, using coded language, fake invoices, and layered transactions to try to hide what was really happening.” He continued: “Sanctions are not symbolic. They are a critical national security tool, and anyone who tries to evade them by exploiting our financial system will be identified and prosecuted. Our Office will continue to protect the integrity of U.S. banks and hold accountable those who attempt to turn them into conduits for illicit funds.”
Carbajal De Jesus and his partner set their fee at 20 percent for this service, which included creating fake invoices as justification for banks and using multiple accounts for transmitting funds. The defendant used coded terms such as referring to funds as a “boy who needs to be taken to school.”
Carbajal De Jesus pleaded guilty in federal court on charges of conspiracy related to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Sentencing is scheduled for June 12; he faces up to five years in prison with final sentencing determined by a judge considering federal guidelines.
The FBI International Corruption Unit investigated this case with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nalina Sombuntham and Trial Attorney Barbara Levy prosecuting it under the Justice Department’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF). MNF focuses on taking profit out of crime through criminal prosecutions and asset recovery actions involving international money laundering schemes affecting the U.S., including those tied directly or indirectly with transnational criminal organizations.
