U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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| In Reply, Please Refer to Release No. |
219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
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May 9, 2002 Six Arrested in Money Laundering and Drug Conspiracy Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced today the arrest of six (6) Chicago residents on Federal Money Laundering and Drug Conspiracy charges. The arrests were made earlier today, without incident, by FBI Special Agents, along with Special Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Officers from the Chicago Police Department (CPD), Narcotics Division. All six of the individuals arrested were charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, late last month, with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (heroin) and/or with laundering the proceeds of their drug sales. According to the complaint, those charged have been under investigation by the FBI, DEA and CPD since 1998. This investigation determined that the group distributed multi-kilogram amounts of heroin in the Chicago area and secretly wire-transferred large amounts of cash to both Mexico and Columbia. Those charged and arrested are identified as: 1. JOSE CHAVEZ, age 28, 6611 South Keating, Chicago. 2. OLGA FLOREZ, age 32, 6611 South Keating, Chicago. 3. GUSTAVO RAMON RAMIREZ, age 42, 2638 West Belden, Chicago. 4. LUZ CHAVEZ, age 38, 1631 West 18th Street, Chicago. 5. ALFONSO ARISTIZABAL, age 54, address unknown, arrested in Orlando, Florida. 6. ANDREA BARBOSA, age 28, address unknown, arrested in Orlando, Florida. In addition to the arrests, search warrants are being executed at four (4) different locations in Chicago and three (3) vehicles, suspected of being used to facilitate the distribution of illegal drugs, have been seized. CHAVEZ, FLOREZ, RAMIREZ and CHAVEZ are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason in Chicago at 2:30 this afternoon. ARISTIZABAL and BARBOSA will appear in U.S. District Court in Orlando, later today. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. EDITOR'S NOTE: A copy of the complaint filed in this case is available from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312) 786-2645. |
