Greenbelt, Maryland – After a five-day trial, a federal jury yesterday convicted Francis Arthur, age 35, of Silver Spring, Maryland, for a money laundering conspiracy and for money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud victim account holders at a credit union. The jury acquitted Arthur of a wire fraud conspiracy charge.
The verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Department of Police.
According to the evidence presented at Arthur’s trial, from October 2016 through April 2017, Arthur and his co-conspirators engaged in financial transactions designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the proceeds of a fraud scheme to obtain cash from victim account holders at a Maryland credit union. Specifically, the evidence showed that the conspirators transferred, withdrew cash, and caused cashiers’ checks to be issued from the proceeds of a fraud scheme. Arthur and his co-conspirators then used the funds to purchase motor vehicles to conceal that the funds were derived from a fraud scheme.
Arthur faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy and for each of five counts of money laundering. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has not yet scheduled sentencing.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Secret Service and the Montgomery County Department of Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Nauvel, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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