Newark, NJ — A Newark man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for his role in a large international money laundering conspiracy and using a stolen identity in furtherance of the scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Edwin Deleon-Batista previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of identity fraud. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2018 through October 2019, Deleon-Batista laundered over $23 million in cash drug proceeds on behalf of a money laundering organization with close ties to drug trafficking organizations in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. Deleon-Batista picked up large amounts of cash drug proceeds in New Jersey, New York, and Florida and laundered it by purchasing cashier's checks at local bank branches. The checks were made payable to individuals and companies specified by the leaders of the money laundering organization. By converting the drug proceeds to cashier's checks, Deleon-Batista tried to hide the source of the illegal cash and avoid scrutiny by law enforcement and banks.