US authorities accused 21 Americans of laundering money through cryptocurrencies

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Federal prosecutors in Texas have filed a number of criminal charges against US citizens suspected of fraud and money laundering using cryptocurrencies.

Long-term investigation of Operation CryptoRunner was conducted by the East Texas offices of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the United States Secret Service (USSS), and the Postal Inspection Service (PIS), a specialized law enforcement branch of the United States Postal Service. Millions of dollars in cash and cryptocurrency were seized in the operation, which “disrupted more than $300 million in annual money laundering operations.”

Prosecutors say the suspectsplayed a key role in an international scam, laundering money inside the United States for their foreign accomplices. Four defendants, including the alleged ringleader, 57-year-old Tulasidas Konda, have already pleaded guilty.

They laundered money received from accomplicesthrough cryptocurrencies, using bank accounts, email accounts and crypto wallets. Three people managed to launder $6 million. Two more are suspected of laundering $2.4 million in business email compromise and real estate scams. But these two have not yet admitted their guilt.

Ten more suspects, allegedly members ofcriminal group, accused of fraud using telegraph and postal services. False technical support services were used to convince victims to send money using shell companies and commercial bank accounts created under the guise of legitimate businesses.

The US Department of Justice reported in Octoberthat five Russian citizens and two Venezuelan citizens organized a scheme to sell oil to the sanctioned company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) for cryptocurrencies.