BOSTON – A Colombian businessman is behind bars, sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in a massive money laundering conspiracy.
Willian Acosta-Calderin, 53, was handed down the sentence by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns on May 8, 2024. The Colombian national will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.
Acosta-Calderin pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions in February 2024. The charges stem from a multi-year investigation into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia.
An undercover agent infiltrated the organization by posing as an international money launderer. The agent claimed to be able to pick up bulk cash worldwide, launder the proceeds through U.S.-based accounts, and send the money back to Colombia through the Black Market Peso Exchange.
During the course of the conspiracy, Acosta-Calderin received over $1.5 million in wire transfers to his business bank account in Colombia. He then withdrew the funds and paid out the money to the owners in Colombia, using fake invoices to mask the true source of the funds and evade anti-money laundering protocols.
Acosta-Calderin’s communication with the undercover agent revealed that he was able to receive up to $400,000 at a time without worrying about regulators. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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