Miami cryptocurrency exchanger pleads guilty to running unlicensed money transmitter business
2024-01-23 · Press release
Summary: The owner of a Miami-based digital currency exchange business pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960.
MIAMI – The owner of a Miami-based digital currency exchange business pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960.
Raul Rodriguez, aka raultiovigia, 43, of Miami, Florida, was in the business of converting cash into bitcoin and other digital currency in exchange for a fee. Rodriguez provided these services to the public through an online digital currency exchange platform known as “LocalBitcoins.com.”
According to his plea agreement, Rodriguez exchanged at least $5,047,462 in digital currency from 2016 through 2022; during the first two years of that period, he was the highest-volume trader of digital currency on the LocalBitcoins.com platform in the State of Florida. Rodriguez further admitted that his customers included an online narcotics trafficker and a professional money launderer, both of whom were previously prosecuted in the Southern District of Florida.
Rodriguez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 2nd at 11:00 a.m. in Miami. He faces up to five years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
IRS-CI Miami investigated the case with assistance from FBI, Miami Field Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marx Calderon and Emily Stone are handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20474.
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- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/miami-cryptocurrency-exchanger-pleads-guilty-running-unlicensed-money-transmitter
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| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1392 | Raul Rodriguez | defendant | Miami, Florida | 43 | pleaded guilty | |||
| 1393 | Markenzy Lapointe | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida | Southern District of Florida | |||
| 1394 | Matthew D. Line | investigator | Special Agent in Charge | IRS-CI, Miami Field Office | Miami, Florida | |||
| 1395 | Christopher Browne | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida | Southern District of Florida | |||
| 1396 | Marx Calderon | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida | Southern District of Florida | |||
| 1397 | Emily Stone | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida | Southern District of Florida |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 877 | Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation | IRS-CI | investigation | Miami Field Office | Matthew D. Line | investigated the case |
| 878 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | Miami Field Office | assisted in the investigation | |
| 879 | Drug Enforcement Administration | DEA | investigation | Miami Field Division | assisted in the investigation |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 705 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | five years in federal prison | Raul Rodriguez | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | ||||||
| 2632 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1960 | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2633 | unlicensed money transmitting business, in violation of Title 18, United State | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:55+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 340 | Raul Rodriguez |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 262 |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 586 | Rodriguez exchanged at least $5,047,462 in digital currency from 2016 through 2022 | Raul Rodriguez | statement | plea agreement | Details the amount of digital currency exchanged by Rodriguez | ||
| 587 | Rodriguez further admitted that his customers included an online narcotics trafficker and a professional money launderer | Raul Rodriguez | statement | plea agreement | Reveals the involvement of Rodriguez with criminal activities |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 788 | Unlicensed Money Transmission | Operating a money transmitting business without proper licensing under federal law. | Core violation leading to criminal charges under 18 U.S.C. § 1960. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | 2016–2022 | Law enforcement, Financial regulators, Defendant |
| 789 | Cryptocurrency | Use of digital currencies like Bitcoin for financial transactions through platforms like LocalBitcoins.com. | Central method of operation enabling illicit financial activities. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | 2016–2022 | Cryptocurrency users, Digital currency platforms, Financial institutions |
| 790 | Money Laundering | Facilitating financial transactions for narcotics traffickers and professional money launderers. | Linked to criminal proceeds and predicate offenses. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | 2016–2022 | Law enforcement, Prosecutors, Victims of drug trafficking |
| 791 | Law Enforcement Collaboration | Joint investigation by IRS-CI, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Attorney's Office. | Demonstrates multi-agency coordination in combating financial crimes. | National | Ongoing investigation period | IRS-CI, FBI, DEA, U.S. Attorney's Office | |
| 792 | Federal Sentencing Guidelines | Potential prison sentence of up to five years under federal sentencing laws. | Determines legal consequences for the defendant's actions. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | Federal | Upcoming sentencing (April 2024) | Defendant, Federal judiciary, Prosecutors |
| 793 | Asset Forfeiture | Handling of seized assets linked to the illicit transactions. | Aims to recover proceeds of criminal activity. | Federal | Post-conviction phase | U.S. Attorneys, Asset forfeiture units, Government |
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