A Bronx, New York man today admitted his role in a large international money laundering conspiracy and to using a stolen identity in furtherance of the scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.
According to U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Roberto Mendoza-Arias, 51, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with conspiracy to commit money laundering and identity fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2019 through March 2020, Mendoza and others laundered over $12.3 million from illegal activity. Mendoza accepted large amounts of cash drug proceeds from conspirators and laundered it by purchasing over 650 cashier’s checks at local bank branches in New Jersey and New York.
The checks were made payable to individuals and companies specified by the leaders of the money-laundering organization.
In July 2018, Mendoza obtained a fraudulent Pennsylvania driver’s license in someone else’s name.
He used the fake ID to open multiple bank accounts and incorporate a business. Mendoza then used the bank accounts and the business to further the money laundering scheme.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.