| Accused
Money Launderer Rakmankulov Trial Has
Uzbek Funds Via China Because Corruption
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
August 29 – Sherzod Rasulov
and three others are charged
with operating an unlicensed
money transfer business, and
money
laundering.
On June 8,
2021 U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Judge Ronnie Abrams held
a proceeding. Inner City Press
covered it.
The
defendants are out on bond,
with permission to travel for
such things as Uber employment
(as to Sukhrob Sobirov).
Co-defendant Shakhzod Yunusov
applied for and got permission
to travel to Philadelphia for
a CDL license.
On June 8,
Yunusov said he'd like 30 days
in this case. It was granted,
to July 8.
On June 10, A2B
Transportation filed a
petition to determine its
interest in the $80,551.39
seized in its TD Bank account
from an Economic Injury
Disaster Loan from the SBA. It
wants the money.
On September 7,
2021, counsel to Sukhrob
Sobirov filed for permission
for Sobirov to go on vacation
to Florida. He filed it under
the Magistrates Court docket
number, 20-mj-8521.
Jump cut to
August 25, 2022: co-defendant
Djonibek Rakmankulov is on
trial before Judge Abrams. The
prosecutor showed the jurors
on screen TD Bank account
statements including a $45,000
wire to Nodira Transport of
Rego Park, ostensibly from
Congregation Mosdos Toldos
Aharon. But that Congregation
never did business with the
Nodira Moving company. What
did TD Bank know, and when?
On August 26,
more TD Bank document, this
time payments to a range of
Iranian-Americans who said the
payments consistent of money
from their relative in Iran
who could only send it this
way due to US sanctions. There
was Benyamin Famici and
payments EZ Seven Wholesale,
then DC-area dentist Reza
Tahernia who said the funds
were from his brother in Iran,
including to buy a gift for
his son. Of these, there was
no cross-examination.
On August 29,
initial co-defendant (now
cooperator) Artur Sattarov was
on the stand, describing how
he laundered money for Arkadiy
Khaimov and Dilmurod Nazarov
through companies he set up
with Wholesale and
Transportation in their names.
The
prosecutors put up a
demonstrative of teh money
going through China - CCP flag
on the screen - to
Uzbekistan. Sattarov was
asked, why do Uzbeks do this?
He said, because
Uzbekistan's government is
corrupt, and there is no
foreign exchange rate, and
they do not want to get in
trouble (there). The trial
continues.
The overall case
is US v. Rasulov et al.,
20-cr-653 (Abrams)
***
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