Two Chinese nationals and a New Yorker pleaded guilty to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced on July 7.
Fang Enhua, 38, and Lu Jianfei, 30, both from China, along with Zhen Shu Jun, 36, of Staten Island, New York, were members of a Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO) that laundered more than $92 million in illicit drug proceeds, primarily through Mexico.
Fang acted as an organizer within the organization, directing a team of couriers to collect cash proceeds—often exceeding $10,000—from individuals across the United States, according to court documents. The money was then deposited into bank accounts held by shell companies controlled by the organization. She communicated with the organization’s U.S.-based drug traffickers and foreign-based operatives via encrypted messaging applications….