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Cartier Family Scion Charged in $400M Money Laundering Scheme
Maximilien de Hoop Cartier, a purported member of the Cartier family known for luxury jewelry, has been charged alongside five Colombian nationals in a $400M money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, Cartier, 30, of Miami, Florida, allegedly laundered millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, including Tether, which is connected to the US dollar, through a network of US-based shell companies and bank accounts. The scheme is believed to have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in unlawful transactions.
Cartier is also accused of operating an unlicensed over-the-counter cryptocurrency exchange and engaging in a series of financial offenses, including bank fraud and money laundering. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
The five Colombian nationals charged in the scheme are Leonardo de Jesus Zuluaga Duque, a/k/a “Rey,” 35, Erica Milena Lopez Ortiz, 32, Felipe Estrada Echeverry, a/k/a “Pepe,” 40, Alexander Egidio Areiza Ceballos, 28, and Adrian Fernando Areiza Ceballos, 25. They are accused of conspiring to import more than 100 kilograms of cocaine into the US.
The charges were unsealed in the Southern District of New York, where US Attorney Damian Williams said, “The charges brought today demonstrate this Office’s commitment to prosecuting international drug traffickers and piercing complicated money laundering networks seeking to exploit the US financial system.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith added, “This alleged scheme illustrates advancements in criminals’ use of complex financial methods to conceal their profits and other nefarious activity from law enforcement.”
The case is assigned to US District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. Maximilien de Hoop Cartier was arrested on February 22, 2024, in Miami, Florida, while the five Colombian nationals were taken into custody by Colombian authorities on April 30, 2024.
This is not the first time the Cartier family has been associated with controversy. In 2016, a member of the family was accused of selling counterfeit luxury goods in the US.
The investigation was led by the FBI, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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