TOLEDO, OH — A brother and sister from Toledo have been sentenced to federal prison after laundering more than $780,000 in drug proceeds for a Mexican cartel, helping funnel profits from fentanyl and meth sales back across the border using cryptocurrency.
Christopher Grover Reynolds, 52, received a sentence of over six years, while his sister, Claudette Reynolds, 51, was sentenced to two years behind bars. Both were ordered to serve three years of supervised release following their prison terms.
Federal prosecutors say the Reynolds siblings acted as financial couriers for cartel operatives, collecting bulk cash from drug sales in Toledo — including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana — and transferring the equivalent value back to Mexico. On six separate occasions, Christopher Reynolds either personally delivered the drug money or directed his sister to do so. The funds, totaling $784,045, were ultimately funneled to Mexico via cryptocurrency.
A raid on Christopher’s home and a traffic stop involving Claudette led to the discovery of $184,415 in cash, pounds of marijuana, counterfeit pills laced with meth and fentanyl, an AR-15 rifle, a .40 caliber handgun, and a money counter.
Investigators say the pair’s laundering operations directly fueled the influx of dangerous drugs into Ohio and the broader Midwest. Authorities emphasized the deadly consequences tied to laundering cartel money, with officials noting the role such activity plays in perpetuating the nation’s overdose crisis.
The case was led by the DEA’s Lexington Resident Office in coordination with multiple field divisions across the country and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
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Key Points
- Ohio siblings laundered $784,045 in cartel drug proceeds, using crypto to send money to Mexico
- Christopher and Claudette Reynolds sentenced to six years and two years in prison, respectively
- Seized items included cash, drugs, counterfeit pills, firearms, and a money counting machine
The siblings helped funnel hundreds of thousands in cartel profits back to Mexico while deadly drugs poured into Midwest communities.