Nonprofit Credit Counselors Charged With Laundering Drug Money Get Prison

In 2013 the U.S. Government brought charges against individuals associated with a credit counseling operation.

At that time the U.S. District Attorney of Kansas said, “Two people have been charged with laundering cash from marijuana trafficking through a non-profit credit counseling agency in Kansas City, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Mendy Read-Forbes, 37, Platte City, Mo., and Laura Shoop, 46, Platte City, Mo., are charged in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. In addition, Read-Forbes is charged with 16 counts of money laundering and Shoop is charged with eight counts of money laundering.

The indictment alleges that Forbes and Newhard Credit Solutions was registered as a nonprofit organization that provided credit counseling services to people who were in bankruptcy proceedings. Forbes held herself out as the owner and operator of the agency. Shoop was an acquaintance of Forbes who worked at various times for the agency.

In March and April 2012, Forbes was introduced to an undercover officer posing as a marijuana dealer. Forbes offered to devise a scheme to launder the dealer’s drug proceeds. As part of the scheme, Forbes offered to deposit money given to her by the drug dealer into the bank accounts of Forbes and Newhard Credit Solutions or related companies and then to return the money to the dealer via checks, money orders or wire transfers. The bank accounts were in Kansas.

To make the transactions appear legitimate, Forbes gave the drug dealer a contract titled “Purchase and Sale of Business Agreement.” The contract, bearing the signature of the drug dealer and another person known to the grand jury, made it appear that the marijuana dealer was purchasing assets of FCP, Inc., a corporation controlled by Forbes and another person.

To make it appear that the drug dealer was engaged in business as a certified credit counselor with Forbes and Newhard Credit Solutions, Forbes gave the drug dealer a certificate saying he had completed training as a bankruptcy specialist.

In addition, Forbes created a company called Maximum Lawn Care, LLC, and opened bank accounts where cash from the drug dealer was deposited.

Forbes agreed not to charge a fee for laundering the drug dealer’s money until she had laundered $170,000 so that the dealer could use the funds to purchase more marijuana. Forbes also agreed to let the drug dealer store 40 pounds of marijuana at her house.” – Source

Last week Mendy Read-Forbes was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and agrees to be responsible for restitution in an amount more than $370,000 and agrees not to contest any forfeiture proceeding concerning $40,000 currently in possession of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. – Source

Shoop awaits sentencing.

This article by Steve Rhode first appeared on Get Out of Debt and was distributed by the Personal Finance Syndication Network.