Gabriel Aldemar Velez Torres has been sentenced to three years and ten months in federal prison for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza after Velez Torres pleaded guilty on September 17, 2024.
Court documents reveal that Cristian Rodriguez Labour recruited Velez Torres into the scheme in February 2021. Labour used Velez Torres's personal information to set up a fake business named "Gabes Go Getter, Inc." Between March 9 and 12, 2021, Velez Torres opened multiple bank accounts under this fictitious business name. These accounts were then used to receive large sums of money wired from businesses across the country, which had been hacked by other conspirators working with Labour.
Once the funds were deposited into these accounts, Velez Torres transferred most of the fraudulent proceeds to offshore accounts in Weifang, China. He also withdrew some of the funds as payment for himself and other conspirators, structuring these withdrawals to avoid detection by law enforcement and regulatory agencies. The total amount directed through "Gabes Go Getter, Inc." was $2,183,086.70, with $741,043.11 successfully laundered to Chinese offshore accounts.
The broader conspiracy managed to launder $3,323,941 to offshore accounts in China and attempted unsuccessfully to launder an additional $5,057,777. These funds were derived from computer fraud and cyber intrusions targeting small businesses and other entities in the United States and Canada.
Several other individuals involved in the conspiracy have also been sentenced:
- Cristian Rodriguez Labour received seven years after pleading guilty on February 21, 2024.
- Jihad William Morales was sentenced to five years and ten months following his plea on May 2, 2024.
- Michael Gabriel Robles Vazquez received two years and ten months after pleading guilty on April 9, 2024.
- Aramys Gonzalez Rodriguez was sentenced to four years and three months following his plea on March 25, 2024.
- Jorge Ivan Ortiz Buil received five years and three months after pleading guilty on April 9, 2024.
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill prosecuted the case.