Altcoin News: Two Online Drug Dealers Found Guilty of Laundering $2.8 Million through BTC

April 25, 2019, by Marko Vidrih on ALTCOIN MAGAZINE

In the state of New York for the first time, the defendants were found guilty of money laundering through cryptocurrency.

The Manhattan District Prosecutor’s Office announced on Wednesday that the accused Callaway Crain and Mark Sanchez laundered $2.8 million, earned through the sale of controlled substances through the Internet, the free distribution of which is prohibited by law.

Between 2013 and 2018, two men sold steroids and other medicines, including Viagra, in the United States through their NextDayGear website and on the darknet. They sold over 10,000 products and accepted payments in cryptocurrency and dollars through Western Union. Then the criminals laundered the funds received.

According to the prosecutor, clients usually paid for purchases in Bitcoins, and the defendants laundered revenues through one or more “intermediary” cryptocurrency wallets to hide the source of funds. Then BTC was converted into US dollars using a cryptocurrency exchange before money was transferred to their bank accounts.

Money received through Western Union was laundered through the use of fake IDs or international bank transfers from recipients outside the United States. The defendants pleaded guilty and will be sentenced to prison terms ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 years at a hearing on July 12. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said:

“These defendants raked in crypto and cash worth millions on their full-service website that sold prescription-free counterfeit steroids and other controlled substances to customers in all 50 states. Online drug sellers who do business in New York should take note: whether you’re operating in plain sight or in hidden corners of the dark web, my Office has the skills and resources to follow the money, shut down your business, and hold you accountable,” - warned Vance.

Last week, the office of the same prosecutor filed charges of three individuals for drug trafficking and money laundering for $2.3 million using prepaid debit cards and cash withdrawals at ATMs in Manhattan and New Jersey. In addition, in the first half of April, a California trader was sentenced to two years in prison for violating AML rules.

Author: Marko Vidrih