The Massachusetts US Attorney announcing charges are being filed against 11 men from California, Rhode Island and New York on charges that they sold dangerous narcotics than laundered the money through international channels.
“We allege that this group of individuals conspired to sell deadly narcotics in Massachusetts communities then laundered millions of dollars’ worth of their drug proceeds through a global network to conceal their illegal activity. Thanks to the incredible collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement, this alleged large-scale criminal enterprise has been stopped in its tracks,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Money is the lifeblood to drug trafficking activity and those who launder directly contribute to the ongoing drug crisis. Dirty money always leaves a trace, and no amount of laundering – whether through financial institutions or digital currency exchanges – will allow perpetrators to evade detection by law enforcement. That is a promise.”
“Today’s arrests by FBI Boston’s Organized Crime Task Force have disrupted a sophisticated transnational criminal organization that is accused of trafficking kilos of cocaine and laundering at least $25 million in illicit proceeds from their illegal businesses all over the world,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Now, these individuals know the FBI is just as committed to eradicating organized crime as this group was to allegedly embracing it. This investigation should be a warning to others engaged in similar conduct: we will infiltrate your network, shut you down, and bring you to justice, no matter where you are.”
The 11 all have made their initial court appearances in federal court and will be arraigned in the next week or so.
(Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)