Reported by U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia (originally published via https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/venezuelan-national-charged-laundering-approximately-billion-dollars-illicit-funds)

A Venezuelan national has been charged by criminal complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia with conspiracy to launder money.

“This case involves the alleged laundering approximately a billion dollars – a scale of criminal conduct that poses a profound threat to financial systems and public safety,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Money laundering at this level enables transnational criminal organizations to operate, expand, and inflict real-world harm. Those who move illicit funds in the billions should expect to be identified, disrupted, and held fully accountable under federal law.”

“The FBI has identified approximately a billion dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency that was passed through crypto wallets utilized by Figueira and his laundering operation to individuals and businesses throughout the world,” said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division. “By enlisting subordinates and conducting scores of transfers, Figueira sought to conceal the nature of the funds, potentially facilitating criminal activity in numerous countries.”

According to court documents, the laundering network of Jorge Figueira, 59, allegedly used various bank accounts, cryptocurrency exchange accounts, private cryptocurrency wallets, and shell companies to launder voluminous amounts of illicit money into and out of the United States. Figueira allegedly used a series of steps, including the conversion of money to cryptocurrency that was directed to a series of digital wallets. Figueira allegedly would send the funds to liquidity providers to exchange the cryptocurrency for dollars, then transfer the dollars to Figueira’s bank accounts and ultimately to the intended recipient. These transactions allegedly were performed to conceal the nature of the funds from law enforcement authorities.

As alleged in the complaint, more than a billion dollars moved through the identified cryptocurrency wallet and various financial accounts. Within Figueira’s financial accounts, the majority of the inbound funds were received from cryptocurrency trading platforms. The majority of outbound funds were sent to various businesses and individuals located in the United States and overseas, including high risk jurisdictions such as Colombia, China, Panamá, and Mexico.

If convicted, Figueira faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Rosenberg is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-mj-730.