Latvian citizen detained in multi-million fraud case in cooperation with FBI

• Published date: 19 May 2022
• Publication title: LETA

RIGA, May 19 (LETA) - Fulfilling an extradition request made by US authorities, the State Police on April 11 detained a Latvian citizen suspected of involvement in an international fraud and money-laundering scheme, LETA was told at the State Police.

ccording to US court papers, a group of criminals operating the scheme had defrauded US citizens of more than USD 10 million (EUR 9.5 million). US law enforcement authorities had been investigating the fraud and money-laundering case since 2016.

Members of the criminal group, which includes residents of the US and Europe, had been placing adverts on websites like Craigslist and eBay, offering to sell cars, construction and agricultural equipment, as well as boats that actually did not belong to them.

Potential buyers who answered the ads were asked to pay money into the criminals' bank accounts, from which it as withdrawn and transferred to the US. The buyers never received the goods they had ordered.

Leaders of the gang recruited money mules from Eastern Europe who...