U.S. money laundering case adds sixth guilty plea in $30 million drug cash conspiracy

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US drug cash laundering case

Highlights

Ygor Fokin Saviolli pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy, marking the sixth guilty plea in a Florida federal $30 million drug cash case.
Court records reveal that over $30 million in drug proceeds were concealed through a WhatsApp-coordinated pickup network spanning major U.S. cities involving facilitators and couriers.
Saviolli faces sentencing on Sept. 11, while five co-defendants face sentencing on Aug. 20, each with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Guilty plea expands Florida federal case

As reported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Brazilian national Ygor Fokin Saviolli pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit money laundering, and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida accepted the plea today.

The department said the court also accepted the guilty pleas of five co-defendants on June 1, widening a case tied to a money laundering network that operated across the U.S. and several other countries. The defendants named in the case are Omar Aliperti De Mello Correa, Gabriel Cezar Menezes, Joao Andrade De Mello, Tadeu Sebastiane Rabelo Alves Barbosa and Leandro De Avila Goncalves.

Court documents describe a structure in which conspiracy members arranged for bulk cash proceeds from controlled substance sales to be collected by U.S.-based couriers and deposited at banks nationwide. Prosecutors say the system was designed to conceal the origin of the money and return profits to drug supply sources operating outside the United States.

National cash pickup network and sentencing schedule

Authorities say dozens of cash pickups around the country were coordinated through WhatsApp message chains involving facilitators and couriers. Saviolli allegedly provided upfront funds for the laundering operation and oversaw the receipt and laundering of bulk cash drug proceeds, while Menezes allegedly directed couriers and personally handled multiple pickups.

Prosecutors say Correa, De Mello, Barbosa and Goncalves acted as couriers, carrying out pickups in cities including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Rochester, New York, and Tampa. During the conspiracy, the organization concealed more than $30 million in cash, according to court records.

Saviolli and the five co-defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Saviolli is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, while Menezes, Correa, De Mello, Barbosa and Goncalves are scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 20; the court will determine final penalties after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration's Rochester Resident Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations Brasilia Attaché Office and Miami Field Office. Prosecutors on the case include Trial Attorneys James Hepburn and Jessee Alexander-Hoeppner, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero.

In our earlier coverage of a North Carolina COVID-19 tax refund fraud case, federal prosecutors detailed how a return preparation business and its employees filed false returns claiming paid sick and family leave credits, triggering about $13.89 million in fraudulent IRS refunds. The article also noted multiple guilty pleas across the group and outlined the sentencing timeline and potential prison exposure as authorities continue cracking down on pandemic-related tax fraud schemes.

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