Roberto Settineri Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charge

WASHINGTON – Roberto Settineri42, of Miami Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty today to a one count superseding information charging him with conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer for the Southern District of Florida and John V. Gilles, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.

According to the information and statements made during the plea hearing, Settineri admitted to conspiring with others to launder $10 million in funds and concealed assets represented to be the proceeds of a large scale fraudulent scheme. The initial investigation was part of a joint U.S. and Italian law enforcement action.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2010, before U.S. District Court Judge James I. Cohn in Miami. Settineri faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Stone and Criminal Division Trial Attorney Margaret Honrath of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section.

The case was investigated by the FBI; the Broward County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office; the Miami-Dade Police Department; the Italian Ministries of the Interior and Justice; and the Italian National Police. Assistance was also provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Rome provided assistance in this case.