Kesetbrhan Keleta illegally sent millions to overseas customers, federal officials said. A Springettsbury Township man accused of illegally wiring more than $8.3 million to overseas customers was found guilty of operating an illegal money-transmitting business, federal officials said.
A federal jury in Washington, D.C., found Kesetbrhan M. Keleta, 43, guilty of the charges June 29, according to a news release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Keleta has a sentencing hearing Oct. 4 in federal court. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but the likely range is 5¼ to 6½ years, the news release indicates. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Federal investigators said Keleta ran a money-transmitting business, Himbol Financial Services, at the Eritrean Cultural and Civic Center in Washington, D.C., in 2001 and 2002. Customers used the business to send money primarily to Eritrea, but also to other places in East Africa and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Libya and Kenya. "The defendant operated his money-transmitting business below the radar of the D.C. and federal regulators," said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein in a statement. "In this post-9/11 era, it is critical that we shut down unlicensed money transmitting businesses so that they cannot be used by criminals and others who seek to harm our nation." Federal law makes it illegal to manage, supervise, control or direct a money-transferring business that is not licensed by a state or the District of Columbia and that is not registered with the U.S. Department of Treasury. Keleta did not have a license, was not registered and operated his business despite knowing of the requirements, federal officials said. In 2001 and 2002, authorities said Keleta was responsible for wiring more than $8.3 million to overseas customers. Federal officials said they've cracked down on these types of businesses because they pose a threat to homeland security because they can be tapped to send money anywhere in the world with no questions asked. source: Daily Record
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