Court documents show 24 year-old Aseel Al-Saber and seven co-defendants opened and maintained bank accounts for the purpose of funneling cash proceeds of marijuana that had been shipped from Fresno and other California cities and sold in Florida and other states.
Al-Saber’s bank account was used to deposit and withdraw more than $72,000 dollars worth of marijuana trafficking proceeds.
She and the others structured transactions involving more than $7.5 million in drug trafficking proceeds.
On February 11, 2015, Chad Riffle, 23, of Citrus Springs, Florida, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to the structuring conspiracy. Jeremy Michael Murphy, 26, of Monroe, Ohio; Peter Capodieci, 24, of Crystal River, Florida; Miguel Gonzalez, 32, of Fresno; and Bree Benson, 21, of Citrus Springs, Florida, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to structure financial transactions and are awaiting sentencing.
From July 2012 through October 2014, Thomas and Gonzalez allegedly sent packages of marijuana and marijuana oil disguised as clothing to recipients in Florida.
The recipients allegedly then made cash deposits into bank accounts held by the defendants in amounts of $10,000 or less so that the transactions would go unnoticed.
The defendants also physically transported the cash from Florida to California. A total of $7 million was funneled, officials said.
Charges remain pending against Brandon Michael Thomas, 25, of Fresno, and. Ashley Starling Thomas, 28, of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Footprint, a nationwide law enforcement initiative led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the IRS, DEA and the US Postal Inspection Service.
Operation Footprint targets large drug trafficking organizations by identifying the transfer of drug proceeds through financial institutions, bulk cash smuggling and other forms of money transfers.
Al-Saber is facing a maximum 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
