Former Idaho Resident Indicted as a “Money Mule” for Laundering Funds from Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud Schemes
2023-12-14 · Press release
BOISE – Andrew Samargis, 69, a former Idaho resident was charged yesterday for conspiring to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business by collecting money from various wire and bank frauds schemes and then sending the funds to his coconspirators, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
The indictment alleges that from approximately October 2017 through July 2020, Samargis conspired with others to operate as a money mule by receiving at least $1 million of financial fraud proceeds into accounts that he controlled and then conducting financial transactions with the proceeds to disguise the nature and source of the funds. The wire fraud and bank fraud schemes included credit card fraud, counterfeit check-cashing fraud, and COVID-19 funding fraud. A money mule is a person who transfers illegally acquired money on behalf of other individuals and typically receives compensation for providing their services.
It is further alleged that Samargis transmitted the proceeds of the fraud schemes to coconspirators through cash withdrawals, cashier’s checks, and wire transfers, at times disguising the purpose of the transfer by providing false descriptions to the banks. Despite banks repeatedly closing his accounts due to fraud, Samargis continued to serve as a money mule for the fraud schemes.
Samargis is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. If convicted of the most serious crime, Samargis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the investigation by the United States Secret Service, Spokane Resident Office, together with the assistance from the United States Secret Service Tucson and Las Vegas Offices, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittney Campbell is prosecuting the case.
This month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, have released a series of PSAs as part of the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. This campaign is an effort to raise public awareness and alert Idahoans to dangers from online scams and fraud scheme. For more information, and to view the PSAs, please visit: justice.gov/usao-id/public-service-announcements
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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- district_office
- District of Idaho
- usa_name
- Josh Hurwit
- event_type
- indictment
- judge_name
- judge_title
- case_number
- max_penalty_text
- 20 years in federal prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release
- sentence_summary
- money_amounts
- $1 million, $500,000
- crypto_assets
- statutes_json
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- press_release_url
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/pr/former-idaho-resident-indicted-money-mule-laundering-funds-wire-fraud-and-bank-fraud
- extras_json
| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1403 | Andrew Samargis | defendant | Idaho | 69 | indicted | |||
| 1404 | Josh Hurwit | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Idaho | |||
| 1405 | Brittney Campbell | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Idaho |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 882 | United States Secret Service | USSS | investigation | Spokane Resident Office | led the investigation that led to the charges | |
| 883 | United States Secret Service | USSS | investigation | Tucson Office | assisted in the investigation | |
| 884 | United States Secret Service | USSS | investigation | Las Vegas Office | assisted in the investigation | |
| 885 | U.S. Attorney’s Office | prosecution | District of Idaho | Brittney Campbell | prosecuting the case |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 708 | conspiring to commit money laundering | Andrew Samargis | indicted | 0 | enrichment | |||||||||
| 709 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | Andrew Samargis | indicted | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | ||||||||
| 2640 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business by collecting money from various wire and bank frauds schemes and then sending | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2641 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2642 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business by collecting money from various wire and bank frauds schemes and then | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2643 | unlicensed money transmitting business by collecting money from various wire a | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2644 | unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 206 | fine | $500,000 | USD | Maximum penalty for the most serious crime (conspiracy to commit money laundering) | Andrew Samargis | pending |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 151 | individual | victims of wire fraud and bank fraud schemes including credit card fraud, counterfeit check-cashing fraud, and COVID-19 funding fraud | $1 million | financial losses from fraudulent schemes |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 202 | An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. | statement | Standard legal disclaimer included in the press release | Highlights the presumption of innocence and the nature of indictments as allegations |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 804 | Money Laundering | Samargis acted as a money mule by receiving and transferring fraud proceeds to disguise their source. | Central to the charges, forming the basis of conspiracy and unlicensed money transmitting allegations. | 18 U.S.C. § 1956, 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | 2017–2020 | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, Victims |
| 805 | Financial Fraud Schemes | Included credit card fraud, counterfeit check fraud, and pandemic-related fraud (COVID-19 funding fraud). | Source of laundered funds, demonstrating systemic exploitation of financial systems. | 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (bank fraud) | National | Historical trend with recent pandemic-era activity | Victims, Financial institutions, Law enforcement |
| 806 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | Samargis operated without a license, facilitating transfers of illicit funds. | Core charge leading to potential imprisonment and fines. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | 2017–2020 | Financial regulators, Law enforcement |
| 807 | Law Enforcement Collaboration | U.S. Secret Service offices in Spokane, Tucson, and Las Vegas collaborated on the investigation. | Highlights multi-jurisdictional coordination to combat financial crimes. | National | Ongoing investigation through 2020 | U.S. Secret Service, Assistant U.S. Attorneys | |
| 808 | Consumer Protection Campaigns | The 'Don’t Click December' campaign warns Idahoans about online scams and fraud. | Public awareness effort tied to the case’s broader implications. | Local (Idaho) | Recent (mentioned as current in the press release) | U.S. Attorney’s Office, Public |
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