Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Rachael Maia Winslow (55, Roswell, GA) to 11 years and 3 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Winslow was also ordered to forfeit $747,608.81 of victim-investors’ funds seized from two bank accounts she had used during the conspiracy. A federal jury had found Winslow guilty in November 2022.
According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, Winslow was a member of an international conspiracy to launder funds generated via boiler room fraud. The boiler rooms sold to foreign victims what they were led to believe were legitimate investments, primarily shares or stock in reputable companies such as Facebook, Chesapeake Energy, or Toys R Us. In fact, the investments were worthless, and the boiler rooms defrauded the victims of more than $14 million during the period when Winslow was involved, at least $4.7 million of which passed through accounts controlled by Winslow.
Winslow formed shell companies in various states and then opened bank accounts in the names of those shell companies for the purpose of receiving fraud proceeds from victim-investors. Fraud proceeds were then wired back overseas and used to pay expenses and boiler room workers and otherwise perpetuate the scheme. Fraud proceeds were also wired to accounts controlled by co-conspirators in the money laundering operation in the United States and overseas, including to Winslow’s overseas accounts, to compensate them for their roles in the conspiracy and otherwise for their personal enrichment. Winslow participated in this scheme while living in Barcelona, Spain, and in Miami, Florida.
The testimony and evidence presented at trial also proved that certain assets that the United States is forfeiting from Winslow, specifically, $525,595.62 seized from an account in the name of Guardian Holdings, LLC, and $222,013.19 seized from an account in the name of First Assured Contact, LLC are traceable to proceeds of the offense.
“This elaborate international money laundering conspiracy scheme defrauded many victims of their hard-earned money to the tune of more than $14 million dollars,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas. “This conviction sends a message that HSI, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, alongside our many law enforcement partners, will not be deterred in their pursuits of these fraudsters.”
“This case illustrates the complex international schemes con artists will design and employ to defraud and enrich themselves from unsuspecting victims,” said Brian Payne, special agent in charge IRS Criminal Investigation, Tampa field office. “IRS-CI and our interagency partners are laser-focused in our commitment to use our technology and financial investigation expertise to find these criminals and bring them to justice, no matter where they may operate.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and United States Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and David W.A. Chee.
Originally published at https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/georgia-woman-sentenced-more-11-years-prison-role-international-conspiracy-launder
