U.S. court sentences Brazilian national in $30 million money-laundering case

Traders Union
All News
Regulators
U.S. court sentences in $30M laundering

Highlights

Ygor Fokin Saviolli received a 12-year prison sentence for managing a money-laundering network that laundered over $30 million from illicit activities.
On September 24, five co-defendants received sentences ranging from 12 months and one day to 94 months for roles as facilitators and couriers in the same conspiracy.
The organization used U.S.-based couriers and WhatsApp coordination to collect and conceal bulk cash drug proceeds via multiple bank deposits across several states, highlighting sophisticated cross-border operations.

Sentencing details and court findings

As reported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Ygor Fokin Saviolli, 35, is sentenced to 12 years in prison for serving as a manager and supervisor in a money-laundering organization that handled more than $30 million in illicit proceeds, including profits from drug trafficking.

On Sept. 24, five co-defendants also received prison terms. Gabriel Cezar Menezes, 29, is sentenced to 94 months; Omar Aliperti De Mello Correa, 34, a U.S. citizen, to 30 months; Leandro De Avila Goncalves, 43, to 24 months; and Joao Andrade De Mello, 29, and Tadeu Sebastiane Rabelo Alves Barbosa, 30, each to 12 months and one day. The Justice Department says the Brazilian national defendants were illegally residing in the United States when they were arrested.

In June 2026, the district court accepted the defendants' guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

How the network operated across the U.S.

Court documents describe a sophisticated organization operating across the United States and several other countries. Members of the conspiracy arranged for U.S.-based couriers to collect bulk cash proceeds from controlled-substance sales, then deposit the funds at banks around the country to conceal the money and return profits to drug-supply sources operating outside the United States.

Dozens of pickups nationwide were coordinated through WhatsApp message chains involving facilitators and couriers. Prosecutors say Saviolli supplied upfront funds to support the operation and oversaw the receipt and laundering of bulk cash drug proceeds, while Menezes also acted as a facilitator and personally collected bulk cash on multiple occasions.

Correa, De Mello, Barbosa and Goncalves served as couriers, carrying out cash pickups in cities including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Rochester and Tampa. Over the course of the conspiracy, the organization concealed more than $30 million in cash, underscoring the scale of laundering activity tied to U.S. drug-trafficking proceeds.

Our earlier article on Chariot Claims’ $10 million Series A highlighted how the legal tech startup is scaling AI-assisted intake and review for mass arbitration and other high-volume consumer disputes. We noted that the platform works with law firms to process claims tied to issues like privacy allegations, hidden fees and hard-to-cancel subscriptions, reflecting continued investor interest in legal-tech automation.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.