Miami-Dade County Resident Charged with Money Laundering

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, announced federal money laundering charges against Miami-Dade County resident Luis Hernandez-Gonzalez.

Hernandez-Gonzalez, 45, of Miami Lakes, appeared in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick A. White and was arraigned on an Indictment charging:

• 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) - Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
• 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956(a)(1)(B)(ii) and 1957 - Money Laundering
• 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(1) - Structuring to Avoid Reporting Requirements

The Indictment alleges that Mr. Hernandez-Gonzalez avoided and attempted to avoid currency reporting rjavascript:void('Copy')equirements that apply to currency deposits exceeding $10,000 at financial institutions and to the purchase of money orders in amounts in excess of $3,000 at United States post offices.  The Indictment further alleges that Mr. Hernandez-Gonzalez committed money laundering by conducting financial transactions in amounts over $10,000 using the proceeds of the manufacture, importation, and distribution of a controlled substance and by conducting financial transactions designed to avoid currency reporting requirements with proceeds of the manufacture, importation, and distribution of a controlled substance. 

An Indictment is merely an accusation and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of USPIS, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elijah Levitt.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.