A Uruguayan man pleaded guilty on Mar. 25 to using an unlicensed money services business to move nearly $100,000 from the Dominican Republic into a U.S. bank account, violating American sanctions related to Venezuelan officials.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to enforce financial sanctions and protect the integrity of the U.S. banking system from illicit funds linked to foreign government officials.
According to court documents, Irazmar Carbajal De Jesus, 60, agreed with a partner to transfer approximately $99,500 in cash delivered in the Dominican Republic into a specified bank account in Ft. Lauderdale. Law enforcement agents told Carbajal De Jesus’s partner that the funds originated from a sanctioned Venezuelan government official who needed help moving them into the United States.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “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 facilitating this service, which included creating fake invoices and using several accounts for transferring funds while referring in code terms such as “a boy who needs to be taken to school.”
Carbajal De Jesus pleaded guilty specifically to conspiracy related charges involving operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 12 and faces up to five years in prison; final sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge considering relevant guidelines.
The FBI International Corruption Unit based in Miami led the investigation with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nalina Sombuntham for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Barbara Levy from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section prosecuting.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) works toward removing profits from crime organizations while protecting financial institutions through criminal prosecutions as well as asset recovery actions against facilitators involved with international laundering or drug trafficking operations affecting America’s financial system.
Related court documents can be found on www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20426.
