Mauricio Chahine, 52, of Jacksonville, was indicted on five counts of money laundering and attempted money laundering, announced United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg on November 21, 2024. If convicted, Chahine faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count.
According to the indictment and court documents, Chahine met several times with undercover federal agents posing as drug traffickers beginning in March 2024. During these meetings, Chahine outlined various methods he could use to launder money for a fee. Over four separate occasions, Chahine accepted over $200,000 in cash from the agents. He then divided the cash and deposited it into various corporate bank accounts, only to return the money—minus his fee—via wire transfers to an account controlled by the agents. The purpose of these transactions was to conceal the source and ownership of the money, which Chahine believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking. Chahine is also accused of attempting to launder money on a fifth occasion shortly before his arrest on November 12, 2024.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Michael J. Coolican are prosecuting the case. Chahine has been ordered detained while awaiting trial.
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