A federal grand jury in Boston has charged eight Chinese people for their alleged roles in an elaborate money laundering scheme that involved the proceeds from tens of millions of dollars’ worth of smuggled drugs.
According to the affidavit (pdf), the defendants used seemingly lawful businesses to launder drug proceeds, and used stolen or fraudulent gift cards to purchase and ship thousands of Apple products internationally.
Investigators believe the eight defendants are all from Fuzhou, southeastern China, and all speak the same dialect of Chinese. Many of them are related to one another by marriage or blood.
The Investigation
During a months-long wiretap investigation starting in January 2021, Chengzou Liu was identified by the Drug Enforcement Agency as an alleged marijuana trafficker who laundered his drug proceeds through a Boston Chinese restaurant, China Gourmet, and a Hanover-based business, Wonderful Electronics….