New York resident Orlando Delgado has pleaded guilty to involvement in a large international ML conspiracy and using a stolen identity for the same. During 2018-19, Delgado laundered over $6.5 million for a large-scale ML organization linked to drug trafficking organizations in several countries including the Dominican Republic.
Delgado laundered large amounts of cash drug proceeds by purchasing over 390 cashier’s checks from various US banks. This was an attempt to conceal the source of the illicit funds and evade law enforcement authorities. Delgado made the checks payable to entities specified by the ML organization. Moreover, Delgado used a fraudulent identification card to open multiple bank accounts. He used these fraudulently opened bank accounts to purchase cashier’s checks worth around $1.5 million with illicit drug proceeds.
The ML charge could lead to a jail sentence of up to 10 years and a penalty of $250,000 or double the laundered amount, whichever is greater. Identify fraud could lead to a jail sentence of up to five years and a penalty of $250,000.
Source: US Department of Justice