PLAINFIELD, NJ – A former TD Bank employee from Union County pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and helping a criminal network move more than $26 million in illicit money from the United States to Colombia through bank accounts he controlled, federal authorities said.
According to court filings, Oscar Marcel Nunez-Flores, 34, of Plainfield, worked at TD Bank’s Scotch Plains branch, where he used his position from March 2021 until his arrest in October 2023 to aid a large-scale money laundering network. Prosecutors said Nunez opened dozens of business accounts under the names of shell companies, often without legitimate customers present, and issued more than 600 debit cards tied to those accounts.
The debit cards were then used to make more than 120,000 ATM withdrawals throughout Colombia, while Nunez allegedly shipped cards directly to co-conspirators overseas. Investigators said he was paid between $500 and $2,500 per account—either in cash or via digital payment—to facilitate the network’s movement of funds.
- Oscar Nunez-Flores admitted to laundering $26 million for overseas network
- He opened shell company accounts and issued hundreds of debit cards
- Faces up to 50 years in prison on money laundering and bribery charges
Nunez also registered shell companies in New Jersey to make the accounts appear legitimate, concealing the true purpose of the transactions. In total, he helped expatriate more than $26 million from the U.S. to Colombia using TD Bank’s infrastructure, prosecutors said.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced the plea, calling the defendant’s conduct a serious breach of trust in the banking system. Nunez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and receipt of bribes by a bank employee.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27 and faces a maximum of 50 years in federal prison and fines of up to $1.5 million or three times the amount involved in the offenses.
The case was investigated by the DEA Caribbean Field Division, IRS Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, and the FDIC Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Morristown Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Puerto Rico and the Western District of Washington.
Officials said the case highlights the vital role of compliance within financial institutions and the dangers posed when insiders exploit access to global banking systems for profit.