Andrey Perov, Money Laundering, Florida 2024

MIAMI, FL - Pawn Shop Owner Charged with Money Laundering

Andrey Perov, 38, of Miami, Florida, has been charged with money laundering and operating a money transmitting business without a license.

As alleged in the criminal complaint and underlying criminal complaint affidavit, Perov owned Bee Pawn LLC, a pawn shop in Miami, and Hard Rock Giffies, a pawn shop in Hollywood, Florida.

According to the charging documents, from January 27, 2021, through June 3, 2021, Perov or an associate of Perov, at the direction of Perov, laundered $110,000 that Perov believed were drug proceeds.

The charging documents further allege that, from December 17, 2021, through November 22, 2022, an associate of Perov, under his direction, redeemed approximately $540,000 worth of purportedly stolen or fraudulent gift cards.

Furthermore, from 2017 through March 20, 2024, Perov allegedly redeemed approximately $53,000,000 in gift cards and money orders and failed to obtain the required federal or state license in order act as a money transmitting business.

Perov made his initial appearance on March 20 in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale. If convicted, Perov faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $500,000 or up to twice the value of the property involved in the transactions with respect to the conspiracy to commit money laundering charge.

Additionally, Perov faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the operating a money transmitting business without a license charge.

The case was investigated by the IRS-CI, Miami Field Office, and the FBI, Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan are prosecuting the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/pawn-shop-owner-charged-money-laundering-and-operating-money-transmitting-business