Union County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Operating Multimillion-Dollar Unlicensed Check Cashing Scheme
2024-02-01 · Press release
Summary: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man with businesses in Newark was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for operating an unlicensed check cashing business.
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man with businesses in Newark was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for operating an unlicensed check cashing business, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Fernando Q. Martins, 44, of Union Township, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Martins previously admitted that from 2015 through June 19, 2019, he operated a business known as Community Check Cashing in Newark, despite holding no license, registration or permission from the U.S. Department of Treasury. He cashed checks for customers in New Jersey and New York, allowing them to cash checks written to shell companies to hide the identity of the customers receiving the cash. In his plea agreement, Martins stipulated that the loss amount was between $250 million and $550 million.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Martins to three years of supervised release, fined him $50,000 fine, and ordered forfeiture of $765,185.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Malagold of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
- district_office
- District of New Jersey
- usa_name
- Philip R. Sellinger
- event_type
- sentencing
- judge_name
- Susan D. Wigenton
- judge_title
- U.S. District Judge
- case_number
- max_penalty_text
- sentence_summary
- 60 months imprisonment, three years supervised release, $50,000 fine, and $765,185 forfeiture
- money_amounts
- $250 million, $550 million, $50,000, $765,185
- crypto_assets
- statutes_json
- timeline_json
- press_release_url
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/union-county-man-sentenced-five-years-prison-operating-multimillion-dollar-unlicensed
- extras_json
| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1361 | Fernando Q. Martins | defendant | Community Check Cashing | Union Township, New Jersey | 44 | sentenced | ||
| 1362 | Philip R. Sellinger | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Newark, New Jersey | |||
| 1363 | Susan D. Wigenton | judge | U.S. District Judge | U.S. District Court | Newark, New Jersey | |||
| 1364 | Tammy Tomlins | Special Agent | Special Agent in Charge | IRS Criminal Investigation | Newark, New Jersey | |||
| 1365 | Michael Alfonso | Special Agent | Acting Special Agent in Charge | Homeland Security Investigations Newark | Newark, New Jersey | |||
| 1366 | David E. Malagold | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Newark, New Jersey |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 862 | Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation | IRS CI | investigation | Newark | Tammy Tomlins | investigation leading to today’s sentencing |
| 863 | Homeland Security Investigations | HSI | investigation | Newark | Michael Alfonso | investigation leading to today’s sentencing |
| 864 | U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey | USAO | prosecution | Newark | Philip R. Sellinger, David E. Malagold | prosecution and representation in court |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 695 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | $50,000 | Fernando Q. Martins | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | |||||||
| 2622 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2623 | unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 199 | fine | $50,000 | USD | court-ordered fine | cash | Fernando Q. Martins | ordered |
| 200 | forfeiture | $765,185 | USD | ordered forfeiture of funds | cash | Fernando Q. Martins | ordered |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 169 | government | $250 million to $550 million | New Jersey and New York |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 177 | the loss amount was between $250 million and $550 million | Fernando Q. Martins | stipulation | plea agreement | Establishes the financial loss amount critical to sentencing and case severity |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 769 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | Operating an unlicensed check cashing business in violation of federal regulations. | Central offense leading to conviction and sentencing under federal law. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | 2015 to June 19, 2019 | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, U.S. Department of the Treasury |
| 770 | Shell Companies | Use of shell companies to conceal customer identities when cashing checks. | Facilitated evasion of regulatory oversight and potential money laundering. | 18 U.S.C. § 1956, 18 U.S.C. § 1957 | National | 2015 to June 19, 2019 | Customers, Financial institutions, Regulatory agencies |
| 771 | Large Financial Loss | Estimated loss amount between $250 million and $550 million. | Highlights the scale and impact of the illicit financial activity. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | 2015 to June 19, 2019 | Victims, Financial institutions, U.S. Government |
| 772 | Federal Sentencing | Imposition of 60-month prison term, fines, and asset forfeiture. | Demonstrates judicial enforcement of financial regulations. | 18 U.S.C. § 3551, 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | Federal | Recent development | U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal judiciary, Defendant |
| 773 | Law Enforcement Collaboration | Joint investigation by IRS-CI and Homeland Security Investigations. | Showcases interagency cooperation in combating financial crimes. | National | Recent development | IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, DOJ |
CourtListener / RECAP
No linked CourtListener docket yet.