Peruvian Pleads Guilty to Logan Airport Counterfeit Currency Smuggling

BOSTON – In a stunning admission of guilt, Alejendrina Elsa Quispe Ramirez, 48, a Peruvian national, pleaded guilty on April 26, 2017, to smuggling counterfeit U.S. currency into the United States through Boston’s Logan Airport.

Quispe was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to time served and has agreed to leave the country following her sentencing. The plea agreement comes after a meticulous investigation by federal agents that unraveled a sophisticated scheme to smuggle nearly $1.2 million in counterfeit bills.

The plot thickened when Peruvian National Police alerted U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents that Quispe and two of her sons were set to arrive in the United States on July 11, 2016. Their visas were obtained under the guise of providing medical treatment for one of the sons.

During a routine luggage search at Logan Airport, federal agents discovered that the family was transporting spindles wrapped within their clothing—spools that appeared to be for industrial purposes. A deeper dive into these items revealed the true nature of the cargo: 140 spindles of thread, each harboring counterfeit $100 bills, totaling an astonishing $1,190,000.

Acting United States Attorney William Weinreb and Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office, led the charge in bringing Quispe to justice. The prosecution was handled by Lori J. Holik, Chief of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some will go to profit from the illegal trade of counterfeit currency and the unwavering efforts of federal agents to thwart such schemes.