HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gary McComas, 26, of Chesapeake, Ohio, admitted that he obtained multiple money orders in the Huntington, West Virginia area to help an individual in California evade financial reporting requirements. Federal law requires financial institutions to report certain information to the Department of the Treasury whenever a person exchanges cash for a money order in the amount of $3,000 in one transaction or a series of transactions. On June 28, 2018, McComas obtained six money orders, each for $500, from three different Huntington businesses for the purpose of evading financial reporting requirements. McComas further admitted to conducting approximately 200 money order transactions totaling $99,400 in and around Huntington for the same purpose between June 28, 2018, and January 13, 2019.
McComas is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service and the assistance provided by the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-144.
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