A Florida man, Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for his involvement in laundering the proceeds of scams against American consumers and businesses to co-conspirators in Nigeria. Garcia, of Winter Garden, was part of a network that facilitated the laundering of funds from romance scams, business email compromises, and other fraud schemes by supplying bank accounts and using a cryptocurrency exchange to transfer the funds in Bitcoin to Nigeria.
According to court documents, Garcia personally laundered over $2.3 million of criminal proceeds and was ordered to forfeit $464,923.91 in proceeds that he personally received from the offense. Four additional defendants in the scheme remain at large.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton emphasized the Department of Justice's commitment to prosecuting transnational fraud and those who facilitate it, stating, "By facilitating the concealment of illicit profits, third-party money launderers enable large-scale transnational fraud schemes."
The FBI Buffalo Field Office conducted the investigation, with Trial Attorneys Lauren M. Elfner and Matthew Robinson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuting the case.
In response to financial fraud targeting older individuals, the Justice Department operates the National Elder Fraud Hotline, providing personalized support and assistance in reporting fraud. The hotline is available Monday through Friday and offers services in English, Spanish, and other languages. More information about the Department's efforts to combat elder fraud can be found on its Elder Justice Initiative webpage.
Elder fraud complaints can also be filed with the FTC, and resources for elder fraud victimization are available through the Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime.
The sentencing of Garcia serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to protect consumers and disrupt criminal schemes that exploit individuals through fraudulent activities.