BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – A Colombian businessman has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for his participation in a money laundering conspiracy, officials announced today.
Willian Acosta-Calderin, 53, was sentenced to 40 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns, marking the end of a years-long investigation into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Acosta-Calderin pleaded guilty in February 2024 to money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions, which began in 2016 and continued until 2022. During that time, an undercover agent infiltrated the organization by posing as an international money launderer.
As part of the conspiracy, Acosta-Calderin used his business bank account in Colombia to receive over $1.5 million in wire transfers. He then withdrew the funds and paid them out to the owners in Colombia, all while creating fake invoices to mask the true source of the funds and evade anti-money laundering protocols.
In text communications with the undercover agent, Acosta-Calderin boasted that he could receive up to $400,000 at a time without fear of regulators.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, announced the sentencing today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States. The OCDETF Program uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to combat organized crime.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations, and 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
- Source: Official Source ↗
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