Orlando Cash-Under-The-Table Scam Blows Up, Local Man Admits Role In $38 Million Payroll Plot

An Orlando man has admitted in federal court that he helped keep a multimillion-dollar payroll off the books in a scheme prosecutors say quietly moved cash through shell companies and cheated the United States out of millions in taxes. Mario Lisandro Flores Moradel pleaded guilty to federal charges and acknowledged causing more than $9.4 million in tax losses, according to prosecutors. He faces up to five years in prison on each count and is scheduled for sentencing on June 24.

The plea was announced in a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office Middle District of Florida, which says Flores Moradel pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Prosecutors say his conduct was part of a wider, multi-defendant scheme that they allege cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. The office also outlined the possible sentence range and confirmed a June sentencing date.

Court filings in the broader investigation describe a network of shell companies that ran an unlicensed check-cashing operation. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the network accepted and cashed roughly $89 million in subcontractor checks, then turned that money into off-the-books cash payroll for construction crews. Prosecutors say the setup helped contractors dodge payroll taxes and workers’ compensation premiums. Several co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty in related cases, including Michael Mayorga and Francisco Alvarez in May 2025.

How prosecutors say the scheme worked

Investigators say the defendants ran an unlicensed check-cashing and courier business that took in paychecks written to shell entities, cashed them, and sent the cash back to foremen and crew members while skimming fees and failing to report wages to the IRS. The operation also allegedly relied on falsified or leased workers’ compensation certificates so contractors could bid on jobs without paying full insurance premiums. Those details appear in public court filings and in a Department of Justice summary of the investigation, which notes the roughly $89 million in cashed checks. IRS Criminal Investigation and other agencies assisted with the probe.

Legal fallout and next steps

Flores Moradel pleaded guilty to two counts that each carry a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A judge will set the actual term after reviewing federal sentencing guidelines, restitution requests, and any victim impact information. According to the Justice Department, the case is being prosecuted by attorneys from the Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office, including Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada. Flores Moradel is due to be sentenced on June 24, and the government is seeking restitution and forfeiture where the law allows. The U.S. Attorney's Office Middle District of Florida, detailed the charges and outlined those next steps.

Why this matters locally

Prosecutors and local businesses say schemes like this do not just stiff the IRS. They also undercut honest contractors, drive down wages for workers paid in cash with no protections, and shift tax burdens onto compliant employers and ordinary taxpayers. Central Florida has seen several federal crackdowns on similar payroll-fraud networks in recent years, a pattern reflected in earlier indictments and reporting. Past coverage of a $292 million construction fraud case has tracked related probes in the region.

For now, Flores Moradel’s guilty plea is the latest public step in what authorities describe as a sprawling, long-running investigation into off-the-books construction payrolls. All eyes will be on the June 24 sentencing hearing to see how the court weighs his role in the scheme.