MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

SAN DIEGO – Alexander Dmitrienko of Finland became the last of eight defendants extradited so far to admit participating in the worldwide conspiracy to distribute ANOM hardened encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates. The ANOM enterprise facilitated drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice crimes.

The eight defendants were among 17 indicted in San Diego in 2021 in connection with Operation Trojan Shield, a first-of-its-kind, international law enforcement effort in which the FBI secretly operated an encrypted messaging network. The ANOM criminal enterprise was responsible for the distribution of more than 12,000 devices in 100 countries. While ANOM’s criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by law enforcement, agents catalogued more than 27 million messages between users around the world whose criminal discussions were covertly obtained and reviewed by the FBI.

ANOM devices were sold to and used by over 300 criminal syndicates, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, Italian and Balkan organized crime groups, and international drug trafficking organizations. The investigation culminated in a worldwide takedown on June 7, 2021. During the takedown, more than 10,000 law enforcement officers made over 500 arrests and searched over 700 locations around the world.

Of the 17 indicted in San Diego, eight have been extradited to date. Dmitrienko pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday; defendants Seyyed Hossein Hosseini and Aurangzeb Ayub of the Netherlands and Shane Ngakuru of New Zealand entered their guilty pleas on January 23, 2025; Dragan Nikitovic, Edwin Harmendra Kumar, Miwand Zakhimi, and Osemah Elhassen pleaded guilty between May and September 2024. All pleaded guilty to Count 1 of a superseding indictment charging them with a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the ANOM enterprise.

Prior to their guilty pleas, the defendants filed motions to dismiss the indictment and a motion to suppress the ANOM evidence. The District Court denied those motions, concluding the Fourth Amendment did not apply to the defendants and the ANOM data collection did not violate the U.S. Constitution.

In total, the investigation resulted in approximately 1,200 arrests; the seizure of more than 12 tons of cocaine, three tons of methamphetamine or amphetamines; 17 tons of precursor chemicals, 300 firearms, and $58 million in various currencies. Dozens of public corruption investigations, too, have been pursued, and more than 50 drug labs have been dismantled. Further, over 150 threats to life were prevented.

According to their plea agreements, the defendants promoted the ANOM platform as “Built by criminals for criminals,” and touted security features such as the ability to wipe devices remotely when seized by law enforcement. The defendants admitted that the conspiracy’s purposes included money laundering and laundering with cryptocurrency. As to drugs, specifically, the four defendants who pleaded guilty in January and February 2025—Hosseini, Dmitrienko, Ayub, and Ngakuru—all admitted that they sold ANOM devices knowing that they would be used to traffic at last 50 kilograms of cocaine; Ngakuru also admitted the importation, exportation, and distribution of at least five kilograms of methamphetamine. Based on their plea agreements and other court filings, what these defendants also did as part of the conspiracy included:

• Hosseini was a part of a team of ANOM distributors, “Team Wijzijn,” based in the Netherlands. He and Dmitrienko discussed the distribution of “90% pure, Peruvian” cocaine, for example, and he and Kumar messaged each other about bringing “kilos” from Belgium and getting drugs to Australia by “Fisher boats.” Hosseini promoted ANOM’s security features and told other distributors about vulnerabilities of competitors SkyECC and No. 1 BC. Hosseini also admitted to obstructing justice through wiping ANOM devices when they were seized by law enforcement.
• Dmitrienko distributed ANOM devices from Spain. He frequently used ANOM for cocaine and other drug distribution: “5 blocks of colombian coke” and “32 blocks,” he offered in two instances, in addition to conversations about “cook[ing] cocaine.” Dmitrienko wrote about “gateways” and “interesting opportunities” for the enterprise in Russia and Ukraine, including through Latvia and Lithuania. He also promoted money laundering through a company he had in Delaware, telling Hosseini that it involved “0% tax and no book[k]eeping…Yes this is pure moneylaund[e]ring 😂.”
• Ayub was an ANOM distributor in Europe, who also sold encrypted communications devices in the U.A.E.—and he had been imprisoned in Dubai for distributing these types of platforms. Ayub was involved in cocaine distribution as he talked about “top” (cocaine) from Colombia, and delivery to London, and sending “100k at a time” to pay for the drugs. He promoted ANOM through his own experience and contrasts with Encrochat and SkyECC, both of which were taken down by law enforcement in 2020 and 2021. Ayub, too, admitted to the obstruction of justice through wiping ANOM devices.
• Ngakuru was based in Thailand, distributing ANOM devices there and in New Zealand and Australia. He used the platform for extensive cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and money laundering. He was tied to two seizures of methamphetamine; discussed quality, repressing, and prices for “rack” and “bird” (cocaine); and detailed in messages how seven kilograms of methamphetamine was concealed in boxes of “full scan proof” “commercial lights.” Among other times he laundered proceeds, Ngakuru coordinated cash pickup in Sydney, Australia and directed deposits into “Thai accounts.”

“The statistics of this case are staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The FBI led this unprecedented collaboration for years, harnessing the evidence to bring down cocaine, meth, and cash traffickers across the globe. These guilty pleas underscore the impact of international partnerships in dismantling organized crime.”

“Operation Trojan Shield was a massive, innovative, and unprecedented case having immeasurable implications to criminal organizations across the globe,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “This extraordinary impact came from an investigative strategy that relied on ingenuity, partnerships, and perseverance, designing a blueprint for disrupting organized crime within the United States and abroad. The guilty pleas of all extradited defendants highlight the effectiveness of this strategy and reinforces the FBI’s collaborative approach aimed at dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations worldwide.”

Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, said, “The triumph of this vast-scale operation demonstrates the immense value of partnerships, both domestic and international. Expert investigators in the DEA Los Angeles Division, working alongside innovative and exceptionally experienced federal and foreign-based partners, took an intricate investigation to the next level. Our multi-agency alliance managed to infiltrate these transnational criminal organizations, ultimately exposing and pummeling their schemes. DEA will continue to foster this type of unprecedented collaboration and offer a core presence.”

Elhassen and Zakhimi were previously sentenced to 63 and 60 months in prison, respectively. The other six defendants who have pleaded guilty are scheduled to be sentenced in February, April, and May, 2025. They were extradited to the Southern District of California from Australia (Kumar), Colombia (Elhassen), The Netherlands (Hosseini, Ayub, and Zakhimi), Spain (Dmitrienko and Nikitovic), and Thailand (Ngakuru). Eight other defendants in the case have been arrested in locations outside the United States and are yet to be extradited, and one remains a fugitive.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua C. Mellor, Mikaela L. Weber, and Peter S. Horn.

For further information on investigations and prosecutions of encrypted communication providers, see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fbi-s-encrypted-phone-platform-infiltrated-hundreds-criminal-syndicates-result-massive (ANOM), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/sky-global-executive-and-associate-indicted-providing-encrypted-communication-devices (Sky Global), and https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/chief-executive-communications-company-sentenced-prison-providing-encryption-services (Phantom Secure).

Operation Trojan Shield is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants to the United States.

DEFENDANTS                                 Case Number 21cr1623-JLS                                   

Seyyed Hossein Hosseini                   Age: 41                       The Netherlands

Alexander Dmitrienko                        Age: 49                       Finland

Aurangzeb Ayub                                 Age: 48                       The Netherlands

Dragan Nikitovic                                Age: 50                       Croatia and Switzerland

 aka Dr. Djek

Shane Ngakuru                                   Age: 45                       New Zealand

Edwin Harmendra Kumar,                  Age: 37                       Australia

 aka Edwin Harmendra Valentine

Miwand Zakhimi,                               Age: 30                       The Netherlands

 aka Maiwand Zakhimi

Osemah Elhassen                                Age: 52                       Australia

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy – Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d)

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, and fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Drug Enforcement Administration

United States Marshals Service

Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

Australian Federal Police

Australian Attorney-General’s Department

Swedish Police Authority

Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau

National Police of the Netherlands

New Zealand Police

New Zealand Crown Law Office 

Office of the Attorney General of Thailand

Royal Thai Police

EUROPOL

Source: US FBI

SAN DIEGO – A two-count indictment was unsealed in federal court today charging San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremiah Manuyag Flores with violating the civil rights of a man in pretrial custody at the San Diego Central Courthouse by using excessive force that caused serious injuries and then writing a false report to cover up his illegal actions.

Flores is charged with depriving the individual – identified in the indictment as 57-year-old J.P. – of his right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and of falsifying a record in a federal investigation.

The indictment alleges that Flores was assigned to the Court Services Bureau at the San Diego Central Courthouse on August 29, 2024, and was escorting J.P. to a holding cell following a court hearing. At the time, J.P.’s legs were chained and his hands were cross-chained to his waist.  At one point, Flores grabbed the back of J.P.’s shirt with both hands and pushed him faster down the hallway leading to the holding cell.

When Flores and J.P. arrived at the open door to the holding cell, Flores forcefully shoved J.P. into the cell from behind with both hands, causing J.P. to smash into the bench and walls and collapse to the ground, the indictment said. Flores stated, “What? Nothing happened,” and failed to immediately report the incident to his supervisor and prepare an official report, both of which are violations of the San Diego Sheriff’s Office’s Use of Force Policy.

According to the indictment, another deputy found J.P. over two hours later lying in the same position in his holding cell with a head wound and a pool of blood on the floor.  As a result of Flores’ actions, J.P. suffered a spinal injury for which he underwent surgery and remained hospitalized for months.

The indictment said that more than an hour after J.P. was discovered in his holding cell, Flores falsely claimed in an incident report that “no force was used” in placing J.P. into the cell, though he knew that he had, indeed, used force against the detainee.

“The vast majority of law enforcement personnel are dedicated public servants committed to following the rule of law and protecting our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath.  “But when a choice is made to cross the line and violate someone’s civil rights, this office will stand on behalf of the victim, and all those who wear the badge with honor, to uphold the public’s trust.”

“Law enforcement officers work tirelessly every day to protect the public, always striving to be professional, honest, and ethical,” said San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The alleged action of the defendant not only violates the oath he swore as a law enforcement officer to protect and serve, but also erodes citizen confidence and trust in our profession.”

Flores made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David D. Leshner. He entered pleas of not guilty to both charges and was released on a $25,000 personal appearance bond with special conditions that he surrender his passport and his personally owned firearms. The next scheduled court appearance is a motion hearing and trial setting before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez on March 10, 2025, at 2 p.m.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins.

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 25cr0254-LL                                          

Jeremiah Manuyag Flores                               Age: 44                                   La Jolla, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine

Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1519

Maximum penalty:  Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

San Diego County Sheriff’s Office (Homicide Unit)

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

SAN DIEGO – Lillian Arielle Markowitz, former owner of three San Diego-based surrogacy consulting businesses, pleaded guilty in federal court today to fraud charges, admitting that she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in client funds from escrow accounts set up to pay for surrogacy-related services.

According to her plea agreement, Markowitz admitted that she owned three businesses — My Donor Cycle, Surrogacy Beyond Borders, and Expecting Surrogacy — through which she marketed herself as a surrogacy consultant to those seeking to realize their dreams of becoming surrogate parents. Beginning around 2018, when Markowitz and her businesses began to experience financial distress, she devised a scheme to steal money from her surrogacy clients by, among other things, submitting fraudulent requests to the escrow company where her clients’ funds were maintained.

Markowitz admitted to submitting four fraudulent escrow disbursement requests from the escrow accounts of two couples. One included what Markowitz knew to be a forged client signature, and each one resulted in her obtaining a check from the escrow company without the knowledge or consent of her clients.

In addition, Markowitz admitted that beginning in January 2019 and continuing through May 2021, she defrauded nine additional clients by falsely promising their funds would be deposited into an escrow account and that they would be accessed only to pay for expenses related to their respective surrogacy journey. In fact, Markowitz deposited these clients’ funds into a business checking account and immediately accessed those funds to cover general business expenses, expenses related to other clients’ surrogacy journeys, and her personal expenses. As a condition of her plea, Markowitz has agreed to make restitution of at least $389,142.00 to her former clients.

“The path to parenthood through surrogacy can be fraught with emotional and financial challenges,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This defendant selfishly exploited vulnerable clients who were striving to fulfill their dream of becoming parents.”

“Instead of aiding her hopeful clients on their path to parenthood, the defendant took advantage of their vulnerability, betrayed their trust, and stole their money,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “FBI will continue to investigate these unique fraud schemes to protect the public against those who employ empty promises and prey upon vulnerable individuals.”

Markowitz is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., by District Judge Todd W. Robinson.

If you believe that you may be a victim in this case, please contact the FBI San Diego field office at (858) 320-1800.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. Pletcher.

DEFENDANT                                                           Case Number 24-CR-0904-TWR

Lillian Arielle Markowitz (aka Lillian Frost)             Age: 40                                   Portland, OR

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation         

Source: US FBI

SAN DIEGO – Alleged Sinaloa Cartel cell leader Octavio Leal-Hernandez, aka Chapito Leal, who is believed responsible for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana into the United States from Mexico, appeared in federal court today following his extradition from Mexico yesterday.

Leal-Hernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of California in May 2020 for International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.

At today’s hearing, Leal-Hernandez was arraigned and entered a not-guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara L. Major. The judge granted the government’s request that the defendant be held without bond pending trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 10, 2025, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks.

The government filed a memorandum today in support of its request for detention that describes Leal-Hernandez as a cell leader who rose through the ranks of the Sinaloa Cartel. The memo said Leal-Hernandez was aligned with the Beltran-Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, specifically with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, aka Chapo Isidro. Meza Flores is the co-leader of the Beltran-Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and was designated by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control as a Foreign Narcotics Kingpin.

Between January 2012 and April 2012, law enforcement authorities lawfully intercepted wire and electronic communications between Leal-Hernandez and several of his drug trafficking associates. The wiretap intercepts confirmed that Leal-Hernandez was a leader/organizer of the Beltran-Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Tijuana, Mexico and was responsible for supplying drug distributors in Southern California and other destinations within the United States. The wiretap intercepts also confirmed that Leal-Hernandez has committed acts of violence to facilitate his drug trafficking activities.

Further investigation after 2012 until his arrest in 2020 confirmed that Leal-Hernandez remained one of the organization’s leaders, responsible for directing, managing, and overseeing the organization’s drug trafficking in Tijuana.

According to the government’s detention memorandum, Leal-Hernandez oversaw the collection and preparation of large shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana from Tijuana, Mexico into the United States. He then directed organization members to coordinate the logistics of storing the drugs in the organization’s stash houses and transporting them to the organization’s distributors and customers throughout California and elsewhere in the United States.

“This appearance in an American court is the result of our unwavering pursuit of those who perpetuate violence and push narcotics into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “We will hold traffickers accountable, no matter how long it takes.”

“The arrest and extradition of Leal-Hernandez marks a significant victory in our relentless fight against the deadly scourge of narcotics trafficking. This joint Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation was made possible due to the dedication, expertise, and extensive investigative work of our special agents and our invaluable federal law enforcement partners,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “We extend our deepest gratitude to all involved for their unwavering hard work, commitment, and collaboration.”

“Drug traffickers are predators that must be held accountable for the harm they cause,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “The capture and extradition of Leal-Hernandez is a reminder to any cartel member that there is nowhere to hide; we will use every tool at our disposal to hold you accountable because no one is beyond the grasp of the DEA and our law enforcement partners.”

“International drug cartels cause immeasurable harm to the American public by importing lethal narcotics and committing acts of violence which terrorize our community,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The serious and sustained actions of international drug traffickers will not be tolerated, and we will continue to work closely with our partners to keep our communities safe.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Mellor. The U.S. Marshals Service completed the removal of Leal-Hernandez from Mexico to the Southern District of California.

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 20cr1224                                               

Octavio Leal-Hernandez                                Age: 44           Tijuana

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 959, 960, and 963

Maximum Penalty: Life, Mandatory Minimum: Ten years

Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846.

Maximum penalty: Life, Mandatory Minimum: Ten years

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

U.S. Coast Guard

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Leal-Hernandez.

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

                                                                               

Source: US FBI

SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury has charged three people with defrauding elderly authors across the United States of almost $44 million by convincing the victims that publishers and filmmakers wanted to turn their books into blockbusters — but only if they paid some fees first.

According to the indictment, Gemma Traya Austin of Chula Vista was the organizer and registered agent for PageTurner, Press and Media LLC (“PageTurner”), a Chula Vista company that claimed to be a book publishing business. Michael Cris Traya Sordilla and Bryan Navales Tarosa, both of the Philippines, were executives at Innocentrix Philippines, a business process outsourcing company.

The indictment alleges that between September 2017 and December 2024, the defendants used PageTurner to operate a book publishing scam in which the conspirators working for Innocentrix Philippines contacted individual authors through unsolicited calls and emails. As part of the scam, the conspirators falsely represented that PageTurner was a book publishing business that worked with literary agents, major motion picture studios, and popular video streaming services, and that PageTurner acted as a liaison between individuals who sought to publish their books or have their books turned into motion pictures or television series.

As part of the conspiracy, the scammers falsely told victims their works had been selected for acquisition by publishers or movie studios, and fraudulently convinced victims to send PageTurner payments for various services, including pre-payment of taxes and transaction fees, before the victim-author’s work could be published or optioned to studios.

According to statements made by prosecutors in court, the FBI identified more than 800 victims of the scheme who collectively lost more than $44 million.

Sordilla and Tarosa were arrested on December 9, 2024, in San Diego. Austin was arrested on December 12, 2024, in Chula Vista. All three are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The FBI also seized the PageTurner website: pageturner.us.

“What started with the promise of a Hollywood dream turned into a devastating nightmare for victims,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Authors should stay vigilant, do their research, and think twice before giving money to anyone promising a blockbuster deal. If you or anyone you know has been targeted in a similar scheme, please report it to the FBI immediately.”

“As alleged, the defendants’ actions not only jeopardized the integrity of the publishing industry, but also took advantage of innocent professionals and defrauded them of their hard-earned money,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “Fraud remains one of the most devastating violations the FBI works due to the number of victims and staggering amount of loss. We will continue our efforts to disrupt fraud schemes, educate the public, and ultimately hold individuals behind these schemes accountable.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service San Diego Mail Fraud Team, along with the FBI San Diego, have worked tirelessly to bring justice to individuals who target, exploit, and victimize our most vulnerable citizens,” said Matt Shields, Inspector in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s San Diego Field Office. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains firm in our commitment to disrupt and dismantle foreign-based fraud schemes that prey on our older Americans. We will continue to work side by side with our law enforcement partners to deter and defeat organized fraud rings, no matter where they are located.”

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

If you believe you are a victim of the PageTurner scam, please contact the FBI at AuthorFraud@fbi.gov.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 24CR2712-JLS

Gemma Traya Austin                                     Age: 58                                  Chula Vista, CA

In custody.  Arrested in Chula Vista, California, on December 12, 2024.

Michael Cris Traya Sordilla                           Age: 32                                   Philippines

In custody.  Arrested in San Diego, California, on December 9, 2024.

Bryan Navales Tarosa                                    Age: 34                                    Philippines                                                                  

In custody.  Arrested in San Diego, California, on December 9, 2024.

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $250,000 fine

Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)

Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the amount laundered

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

United States Postal Inspection Service