Tampa Couple Convicted In Multimillion-Dollar Money Laundering Scheme

TAMPA, FL — U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Virginia Garcia Moreta, 35, and Hector Rodriguez Mendez, 47, of Tampa to 70 and 63 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiring to commit money laundering.

As part of their sentences, the court also ordered them to forfeit $21,567,939, the proceeds of the conspiracy. The couple pleaded guilty on June 10.

According to court documents, Garcia Moreta and Rodriguez Mendez led a Tampa-based money laundering organization responsible for laundering more than $20 million in drug proceeds in more than 400 transactions.

During the operation, the couple received substantial amounts of drug proceeds, then gave bundles of cash with purchase instructions to people that Rodriguez Mendez recruited to purchase cashier’s checks.

The couple would then visit several banks in the same day to cash the checks to avoid suspicion, according to court records. These cashier’s checks were then given to other businesses and people involved in the conspiracy.

The conspiracy came to light on June 18, 2019, when Florida Highway Patrol troopers stopped Garcia Moreta while she was in possession of a bag containing cashier’s checks and receipts for cashier’s checks totaling more than $1 million.

In total, investigators identified $21,567,939 that was laundered during the conspiracy. The couple's share of the proceeds was 3 percent.

“The main motivation of these drug-trafficking organizations is profit at the expense of the safety and health of our citizens. The actions of these individuals assisted the drug traffickers bringing this poison into our communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This successful collaboration between the DEA Miami Field Division and our federal partners highlights the importance of financial investigations in the fight against narcotics trafficking in Florida.”

“The dirty cash from drug trafficking cannot legally be introduced into the commerce stream, so traffickers rely on money launderers to clean it,” said Brian Payne, IRS Special Agent in Charge. “Those who launder drug proceeds are just as vile and culpable as the traffickers themselves, which is why today’s sentences properly hold the defendants responsible for their actions.”