An international drug money laundering mastermind, known as "The Englishman," has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Daniel Shaun Zilke, a former Mexico City resident, was handed an 87-month sentence for his role in a conspiracy that moved millions of dollars tied to narcotics from the U.S. to drug trafficking organizations internationally.

Zilke, 49, faced Judge R. Gary Klausner in the sentencing, where he was also ordered to pay back $150,000 to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and received a $50,000 fine, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. Despite his role in facilitating the illegal flow of funds, Zilke's case is just one in a broader operation probing the financial underpinnings of drug cartels, which has seen multiple convictions, including that of Gustavo Adolfo Aldana-Martinez and Jeffrey Mark Thompson, each receiving their fines and prison sentences.

In an interesting turn during the investigation, Zilke had approached the DEA in 2019, offering his cooperation with the agency. After accepting a role as a cooperator, he was entrusted with $200,000 of government funds, which was to be laundered and returned to DEA's undercover accounts. However, the agency found about two weeks after the cash delivery, that Zilke had recaptured $150,000 from Thompson's residence without informing the DEA agents, a theft for which he would attempt to offer varied excuses for delays in wire transfers, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.

The investigative work leading to Zilke's sentencing was a collaboration between DEA Seattle and DEA San Ysidro. Assistant United States Attorney Julie J. Shemitz from the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section led the prosecution.