A Romanian man, whose last known address was in Woburn, is now facing federal money laundering charges after an investigation by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
Catalin Buzea, 31, of 300 Presidential Way (Marriot Residence Inn) in Woburn, will be criminally charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering after allegedly knowingly engaging in financial transactions that affected “interstate commerce and foreign commerce.” According to ICE Special Agent Timothy Costello, those transactions included wire fraud, mail fraud and passport fraud.
…According to Agent Costello’s affadavit, Buzea allegedly used a fake name and fake Czech Republic passport to open a bank account in Melrose. In February, two wire transfers were put through to the bank account from North Carolina and Tennessee.
“Both [victims] filed police reports with their local police departments and gave a statement that they wired money for the purpose of purchasing a vehicle that had been advertised over the Internet, but neither had received the vehicle,” said Agent Costello.
Several withdrawals were made from the account in Revere, Arlington, Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Newton, Hingham and Canton.
Detailed news link: here