Damian Williams, america Lawyer for the Southern District of New York; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Cost of the New York Area Workplace of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); Ivan J. Arvelo, the Particular Agent in Cost of the New York Area Workplace of Homeland Safety Investigations (“HSI”); and Kareem A. Carter, the Government Particular Agent in Cost of the Inner Income Service's Workplace of Legal Investigation (“IRS-CI”) in Washington, DC, introduced the dismissal of a Superseding Indictment that charged MAXIMILIEN DE HOOP CARTIER, LEONARDO DE JESUS ZULUAGA DUQUE, alias “Rey”, ERICA MILENA LOPEZ ORTIZ, and FELIPE ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, alias “Pepe”, with conspiracy to commit cash laundering based mostly on their alleged participation in a community that laundered hundreds of thousands of Tether (a stablecoin linked to the US greenback), which constituted the proceeds of drug trafficking, by means of america to Colombia. CARTIER can also be accused of cash laundering, financial institution fraud, partaking in a financial transaction in property derived from financial institution fraud, and working an unlicensed cash transmission enterprise based mostly on CARTIER's system of shell firms based mostly in america and financial institution accounts he used to function an unlicensed enterprise. over-the-counter cryptocurrency alternate. Moreover, the superseding indictment expenses ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, ALEXANDER EGIDIO AREIZA CEBALLOS, and ADRIAN FERNANDO AREIZA CEBALLOS with conspiring to import greater than 100 kilograms of cocaine into america.
CARTIER, who claims to be a direct descendant of the Cartier household identified for luxurious jewellery, was arrested on February 22, 2024, in Miami, Florida, and offered earlier than a United States Justice of the Peace within the Southern District of Florida. ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS, and ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS, all Colombian nationals, had been taken into custody by the Colombian authorities on April 30, 2024. The case is assigned to the choose of the US district Mary Kay Vyskocil.
U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams mentioned: “At this time's indictments exhibit this Workplace's dedication to pursuing worldwide drug traffickers and piercing the intricate cash laundering networks that search to take advantage of the monetary system of The US. As alleged, Maximilien de Hoop Cartier, Leonardo de Jesus Zuluage Duque, Erica Milena Lopez Ortiz, and Felipe Estrada Echeverry had been members of a community that laundered hundreds of thousands of {dollars} of drug trafficking proceeds with cryptocurrency and the monetary system of america. Cartier can also be accused of getting dedicated a collection of economic crimes whereas working with this cash laundering community that resulted in a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in unlawful transactions. He praises the efforts of our companions of l regulation enforcement and the profession prosecutors of this Workplace who work tirelessly to analyze and disrupt these cash laundering and drug trafficking networks. We’ll proceed to relentlessly shield the U.S. monetary system from exploitation.”
FBI Performing Assistant Director James Smith mentioned: “Maximilien de Hoop Cartier and 5 Colombian nationals allegedly tried to import greater than 100 kilograms of cocaine and laundered a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} – together with proceeds from operations of drug trafficking – by means of an unlicensed cryptocurrency alternate to switch illicit funds from america to Colombia. This alleged scheme illustrates the advances in using complicated monetary strategies by criminals to hide their earnings and different nefarious actions by regulation enforcement. The FBI is dedicated to dismantling worldwide felony enterprises by disrupting the move of unlawful and narcotics cash throughout our borders.”
HSI Particular Agent in Cost Ivan J. Arvelo mentioned: “At this time's announcement serves as a reminder that criminals don’t match a sure mould. Whereas Maximilien de Hoop Cartier portrays himself as a member of a household related to wealth and luxurious, is accused of working a financial institution fraud scheme the place a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of felony funds had been laundered. Each right here and in Colombia, he and his co-conspirators allegedly laundered the proceeds of drug trafficking for greater than $14 million. I commend HSI New York's El Dorado Process Power and our regulation enforcement companions for relentlessly pursuing felony suspects, no matter their names or places.” .
IRS-CI Government Particular Agent in Cost Kareem A. Carter mentioned: “IRS Legal Investigation is proud to have supplied its monetary experience on this investigation. CI and our regulation enforcement companions are dedicated to investigating aggressively people concerned in cash laundering, tax fraud and different monetary crimes”.
In keeping with allegations contained within the superseding indictment, different courtroom paperwork, and statements made throughout courtroom proceedings:[1]
CARTIER, ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, and ESTRADA ECHEVERRY are members of a cash laundering community working in america and Colombia, amongst different nations (the “Community”). The Community makes use of a system of cash laundering brokers and shell firms in america, Colombia and elsewhere for, amongst different issues, the proceeds of the crime of laundering from america to Colombia. Between or round Might 2023 and November 2023, CARTIER, ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ, ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, and others used the Community to launder a complete of roughly $14.5 million Tether derived immediately from the proceeds of drug trafficking . Particularly, ZULUAGA DUQUE, with the help of LOPEZ ORTIZ, coordinated and communicated with different members of the Community to transform the drug merchandise into Tether to be despatched to america the place it was transformed into fiat foreign money by CARTIER is transformed by wire transfers from the US to shell firms in Colombia that had been operated or maintained by ESTRADA ECHEVERRY and others.
CARTIER has been a member of the Community since at the very least roughly January 2020. As a part of its function within the Community, CARTIER has operated an unlicensed cryptocurrency alternate. Particularly, CARTIER operated and/or managed a number of US-based shell firms, together with Bullpix Options LLC, Vintech Capital LLC, VC Progressive Applied sciences LLC, AZ Applied sciences LLC, Softmill LLC, and Solar Applied sciences LLC (the “Cartier Shell Corporations “), and maintained a number of accounts for the Cartier Shell Corporations in a number of US monetary establishments. In opening these financial institution accounts, CARTIER misrepresented the true nature of the enterprise of the Cartier Shell Corporations – Sure, CARTIER informed the banks that the Cartier Shell Corporations had been within the software program or expertise enterprise when, in reality, CARTIER was utilizing the businesses to function as an unlicensed cash remittance enterprise linked to the operation of a cryptocurrency alternate. From January 2020 to immediately, CARTIER's unlicensed cash transmission enterprise has executed a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in unlawful transactions and laundered a whole lot of hundreds of thousands in felony proceeds, together with the proceeds of drug trafficking with ZULUAGA DUQUE, LOPEZ ORTIZ , and ESTRADA ECHEVERRY between Might and approx. November 2023.
Lastly, ZULUAGA DUQUE and LOPEZ ORTIZ conspired with ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS and ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS to import greater than 100 kilograms of cocaine in america Particularly, in roughly November 2023, confidential sources, on the route of regulation enforcement, coordinate with LOPEZ ORTIZ and ALEXANDER. AREIZA CEBALLOS for the acquisition of roughly 9 kilograms of cocaine paste, which was to be manufactured into cocaine earlier than being despatched to New York. For that buy, ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS delivered the narcotics to an undercover officer and ZULUAGA DUQUE acquired a fee to assist arrange the deal. As well as, in roughly February 2024, a confidential supply, on the route of regulation enforcement, organized for the acquisition of roughly 100 kilograms of cocaine paste from ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS and ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS. In anticipation of this deal, the Colombian Nationwide Police executed two search warrants and recovered roughly 111 kilograms of cocaine paste from ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS and ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS.
***
CARTIER, 57, an Argentine citizen who resided in France, is charged with one rely of conspiracy to commit cash laundering, which carries a most penalty of 20 years in jail; one rely of cash laundering, which carries a most penalty of 20 years in jail; one rely of financial institution fraud, which carries a most penalty of 30 years in jail; one rely of partaking in a financial transaction in property derived from specified criminal activity, which carries a most penalty of 10 years in jail; and one rely of working a cash remittance enterprise with out a license, which carries a most sentence of 5 years in jail.
ZULUAGA DUQUE, 61, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one rely of conspiracy to commit cash laundering, which carries a most penalty of 20 years in jail, and one rely of conspiracy to import 5 kilograms or greater than cocaine in america, which carries a compulsory minimal sentence of 10 years in jail and a most sentence of life in jail.
LOPEZ ORTIZ, 42, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one rely of conspiracy to commit cash laundering, which carries a most penalty of 20 years in jail, and one rely of conspiracy to import 5 kilograms or extra of cocaine in america, which carries a compulsory minimal sentence of 10 years in jail and a most sentence of life in jail.
ESTRADA ECHEVERRY, 38, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one rely of conspiracy to commit cash laundering, which carries a most penalty of 20 years in jail.
ALEXANDER AREIZA CEBALLOS, 45, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one rely of conspiracy to import 5 kilograms or extra of cocaine into america, which carries a compulsory minimal sentence of 10 years in jail and a most sentence of life in jail .
ADRIAN AREIZA CEBALLOS, 44, a Colombian citizen, is charged with one rely of conspiracy to import 5 kilograms or extra of cocaine into america, which carries a compulsory minimal sentence of 10 years in jail and a most sentence of life in jail .
The statutory minimal and most penalties on this case are prescribed by Congress and are supplied right here for informational functions solely, as every defendant's sentence shall be decided by a choose.
Mr. Williams praised the excellent investigative work of the FBI's New York Workplace, HSI's New York El Dorado Process Power, and the IRS-CI, World Illicit Monetary Staff. Mr. Williams additionally thanked the FBI Authorized Attaché Workplace in Colombia; the Colombian Nationwide Police; the Division of Justice's Workplace of Worldwide Affairs; the US Embassy in Colombia; and the Workplace of the Judicial Hooked up of the Part of Narcotics and Harmful Medicine in Bogotá.
This case is being dealt with by the Workplace's Illicit Financing and Cash Laundering Unit. Assistant US Lawyer Jennifer N. Ong is accountable for the prosecution.
The costs within the Indictment are solely accusations, and the accused are presumed harmless except and till confirmed responsible.
