Two Burlington County Women Charged in $175 Million Check-Cashing Scheme
CAMDEN, N.J. – Luciana Machado, 42, of Riverside, New Jersey, and Juliana Gomes-Souza, 45, of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, were arrested today and charged with operating an illegal unlicensed check cashing operation that cashed over $175 million in checks and failed to file Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) on their customers, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Machado and Gomes-Souza are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to fail to file CTRs and operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in Court:
Since at least 2018, Machado and Gomes-Souza have operated two businesses – Via Brazil I in Riverside and Via Brazil II in Philadelphia – as a criminal enterprise that has allowed their customers to cash over $175 million in checks without generating CTRs or financial records identifying their customers. This facilitates the customers’ ability to pay off-the-books employees and laborers in cash and avoid payroll and income taxes.
The charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross financial gain derived or twice the loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest.
Machado and Gomes-Souza are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio later today.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Malagold of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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