Gabriel Arturo Jimenez Aray.
FLORIDA, United States--A former owner of the Banco Peravia bank in the Dominican Republic (DR) has been sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a US $1 billion money-laundering scheme involving currency exchange.
Gabriel Arturo Jimenez Aray (50), a Venezuelan citizen residing in Chicago, Illinois, and former owner of Banco Peravia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robin Rosenberg last week in Florida, following his guilty plea on March 20 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Jimenez admitted that, as part of the scheme, he conspired with Raul Gorrin Belisario (50) and others to acquire Banco Peravia, through which he helped launder bribe money and scheme proceeds.
Jimenez and his co-conspirators used the bank to pay bribes to Venezuelan government officials in exchange for contracts to conduct currency exchange schemes and to launder the money obtained from running those currency exchange schemes.
He admitted that he facilitated illegal transactions and bribe payments to foreign officials and others via bank-issued credit cards, cash disbursements, wire transfers and other financial transactions. ~ Curaçao Chronicle ~
