Connor Pennington, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Virginia 2024

Connor Pennington, 39, of Washington D.C., has admitted to laundering $3,500,000 in proceeds from the illegal sale of marijuana and THC products, federal prosecutors announced today in Alexandria, Virginia. Pennington pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, capping a multi-year operation that disguised a high-volume, unlicensed cannabis delivery empire as a legitimate business.

Pennington was the CEO of JointVentures, LLC, which operated under the street name ‘Joint Delivery’—a marijuana distribution network that trafficked THC vape cartridges, wax, edibles, and other cannabis products across the D.C. metro area. Despite branding itself with a corporate facade, JointVentures was never licensed as a medical dispensary in any state or the District of Columbia, making all sales illegal under federal law.

The enterprise ran out of a residential building in downtown D.C., using delivery drivers and cyclists to transport drugs to customers. In 2018 alone, the business raked in nearly $1.5 million. By the first three quarters of 2021, revenue had ballooned to over $2.3 million. Pennington oversaw every facet of the operation, including a deliberate strategy to evade bank reporting requirements.

Court documents reveal that Pennington and company representatives routinely deposited cash in amounts under $10,000 into multiple corporate bank accounts. This ‘structuring’ technique was designed to avoid triggering Currency Transaction Reports, allowing the illicit funds to slip through financial oversight undetected. The total laundered amount reached approximately $3,500,000.

Pennington entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, who will sentence him on May 2. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, though actual sentences are typically lower after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was announced by Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, along with Jarod Forget, DEA Special Agent in Charge for the Washington Division, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Rumbaugh and David A. Peters. Court records are available under Case No. 1:22-cr-127 via the Eastern District of Virginia’s public docket or PACER.

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