A former Venezuelan National Guard major based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nepmar Jesus Escalona Enriquez, has pled guilty to charges of money laundering and engaging in a bribery scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida announced. Escalona, who was formerly stationed in Venezuela, was implicated in a corruption racket that involved deceiving Venezuelan and foreign financial authorities to enrich himself and associates to the tune of roughly $1.7 million.
The 47-year-old admitted in court documents to having willfully submitted bogus applications to Venezuela's currency control authority, CADIVI, with the intent to mislead institutions like Banesco Bank and the Venezuelan customs. These applications falsely claimed to finance food imports, but were in reality a front to surreptitiously transfer U.S. dollars out of Venezuela. Escalona also confessed to instructing co-conspirators to to improperly split payments of the fraudulent proceeds and bribes to multiple financial institutions, including some within the United States, totaling about $420,847 in illegal wire transfers.
The crumbling house of cards came to a resolute end as Escalona took responsibility for his part in a web of corruption that stretched across the Venezuelan government and banking system. He acknowledged his role in paying off officials within Venezuela to keep the illicit activities under wraps. "Escalona pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy," according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Facing up to 20 years behind bars, Escalona is set to receive his sentence on May 23. The sentencing will take into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors. Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, alongside other law enforcement officials, announced the details of the plea. The case has been led by the diligent efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Miami Field Division. The prosecution baton is being carried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Emily Cohen and Deputy Chief Joseph Palazzo of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
Interested parties can access further details on the case by visiting the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, citing the case number 22-CR-20423 for more documentation on the proceedings and the course of justice as it unfolds against the disgraced former military official.
