A federal grand jury has officially charged 24-year-old Matias Alexander Vinces Aguayo, a resident of Gastonia, for his role in a scheme that allegedly laundered over $380,000 from a wire fraud operation, as stated by Dena J. King, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The announcement from the United States Attorney's Office was supported by Robert M. DeWitt, the lead agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation Charlotte Division, who commented on the indictment.
The indictment accuses Aguayo of using his company, Keys ‘N Go, to funnel illegal funds through payment processors Stripe and Square, sending money overseas and to crypto wallets. He allegedly managed personal and business bank accounts to launder this dirty money. Aguayo’s role included making withdrawals from fake bank accounts through his online company and directing stolen funds to banks in Pakistan and anonymous cryptocurrency addresses, as reported by the United States Attorney's Office.
A total of $240,000 is reported to have been moved to various locations, with Aguayo allegedly taking a portion for himself. If convicted, he faces a possible 20-year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine. The official stance is clear: charges are merely charges until proven in the halls of justice, but if the charges hold, proving innocence will be difficult. With Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley leading the prosecution, the case is likely to develop further, as stated by the United States Attorney's Office.
