JURY CONVICTS ATTORNEY ON MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Thomas W. Raffanello, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Brian J. Wimpling, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; Jesus Torres, Interim Special Agent in Charge, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and Carlos Alvarez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department announced today that following a three-week trial before United States District Court Judge Patricia A. Seitz, a jury convicted Juan Carlos Elso, a/k/a J.C. Elso, on two counts of conspiring to launder drug proceeds and one count of money laundering.

During the three-week trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing how Elso, a Miami criminal defense attorney, used his position as a lawyer to facilitate his clients’ money laundering activities. Prosecutors showed how on November 15, 2001, Elso removed $266,800 in cash drug proceeds from the floor safe of the residence of one of his cocaine trafficker clients in order to prevent law enforcement officers from discovering and seizing the cash. After officers attempted to stop Elso and pull him over, Elso fled and led police on a high-speed chase through main streets and side streets west of Little Havana. Elso’s attempt to flee failed, and officers successfully seized the cash from the trunk of his car. Prosecutors also presented evidence showing how Elso assisted the efforts of a separate cocaine trafficking client to launder drug proceeds from Miami to Colombia by causing wire transfers of $60,000 to $70,000 in cash drug proceeds through bank accounts in Miami.

Following the guilty verdict in the case, the jury also returned a special forfeiture verdict finding Elso’s interest in the $266,800 in cash seized from the trunk of his car subject to forfeiture. Sentencing is set for March 18, 2004. Elso faces a potential statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Richard Gregorie and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Davis.