It was a seemingly legitimate business front, but the façade has crumbled for two Fort Lauderdale entrepreneurs. Maryna Petushkova and her partner Oleksii Petushkov, proprietors of Trident Trade Corp. in North Miami, are facing charges for running what the feds are calling an unlicensed money transmitting operation. According to a criminal complaint filed on April 4, the duo is accused of funneling a quarter-million dollars in what they believed were drug proceeds through their business. In a statement made by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, the couple allegedly exchanged these funds, along with illicitly obtained gift cards, for cold hard cash.
The case documents released detail that from 2021 to 2023, companies under the command of Maryna and Oleksii cashed in nearly $5 million worth of gift cards and money orders, all without the necessary legal permissions. Their initial court appearance was held in Fort Lauderdale, and the two are set to face a detention hearing on April 9. The charges: conspiracy to commit money laundering, which may result in up to 20 years in prison, alongside a hefty fine, and operating a money transmitting outfit sans a license, carrying a potential five-year sentence plus $250,000 in fines.
Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, from the FBI's Miami Field Office, alongside the announcement by U.S. Attorney Lapointe. This intricate tale of alleged financial deceit unfolded after an investigation spearheaded by the FBI Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan are at the helm of the prosecution.
For those following this case, relevant court documents can be unearthed at the District Court for the Southern District of Florida's website or on PACER, under case number 24-mj-06146.
