Kalispell woman admits running money mule business, sending money overseas
2022-09-07 · Press release
MISSOULA —A Kalispell woman accused of operating a money mule business in which she collected money from various wire fraud schemes around the United States and then sent the funds overseas for a fee admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Theresa Anne Chabot, 57, pleaded guilty to unlicensed money transmitting businesses. Chabot faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for Jan. 5, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Chabot was released pending further proceedings.
A plea agreement filed in the case recommends that 29 other counts charged in an indictment be dismissed at sentencing, that Chabot be responsible for complete restitution estimated by the government at approximately $5.2 million and that Chabot forfeit a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe.
The government alleged in court documents that from about May 2017 until February 2021, Chabot, through her business, Avalanche Creek, LLC, collected money from various wire fraud schemes around the United States into her bank accounts. When doing so, Chabot operated as a money transmitting business and was required to register Avalanche Creek with the Department of Treasury. The government further alleged that Chabot opened more than 50 bank accounts. Banks closed numerous accounts after reviewing the activity, and at least 15 banks directly informed Chabot the accounts were being closed due to fraud, violation of bank policies and other misuse. Despite the repeated bank account closures, Chabot would open new bank accounts that enabled her to receive proceeds. Chabot received a fee, which in some instances totaled approximately 10 percent of the proceeds deposited into her bank accounts. Chabot would then forward the remaining funds overseas, including to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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- https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/kalispell-woman-admits-running-money-mule-business-sending-money-overseas
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| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1659 | Theresa Anne Chabot | defendant | Avalanche Creek, LLC | Kalispell, Montana | 57 | pleaded guilty | ||
| 1660 | Jesse Lasovich | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Montana | |||
| 1661 | Kathleen L. DeSoto | judge | U.S. Magistrate Judge | U.S. District Court | Montana | |||
| 1662 | Dana L. Christensen | judge | U.S. District Judge | U.S. District Court | Montana | |||
| 1663 | Ryan G. Weldon | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Montana |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1040 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | Investigated the case involving the money mule business and wire fraud schemes. | ||
| 1041 | IRS Criminal Investigation | IRS CI | investigation | Investigated the case involving the money mule business and wire fraud schemes. | ||
| 1042 | U.S. Attorney's Office | USAO | prosecution | Ryan G. Weldon | Prosecuted the case, including handling the plea agreement and recommending restitution and asset forfeiture. |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 834 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | five years in prison | $250,000 | Theresa Anne Chabot | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | ||||||
| 2770 | unlicensed money transmitting businesses | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 283 | fine | $250,000 | USD | maximum fine for unlicensed money transmitting businesses | cash | Theresa Anne Chabot | pending |
| 284 | restitution | $5.2 million | USD | complete restitution for wire fraud schemes | cash | Theresa Anne Chabot | pending |
| 285 | forfeiture | 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe | vehicles | Theresa Anne Chabot | pending |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 209 | victims of wire fraud schemes | $5.2 million | United States |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 | admitted to charges today | Jesse Laslovich | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Department of Justice | statement | Announcing Theresa Anne Chabot's admission to operating a money mule business | Confirms defendant's formal admission of guilt in the case |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1021 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting | Theresa Chabot operated Avalanche Creek, LLC as an unregistered money transmitting business, collecting funds from wire fraud schemes into her bank accounts. | Violated legal requirements to register with the Department of Treasury, enabling illicit financial activity. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | 2017–2021 | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, Victims |
| 1022 | Money Laundering | Chabot moved illicit proceeds from wire fraud schemes through multiple bank accounts and sent funds overseas, including to Dubai. | Obfuscated the illegal origin of funds and facilitated transnational financial crime. | International | 2017–2021 | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, International authorities | |
| 1023 | Bank Fraud | Chabot opened over 50 bank accounts despite repeated closures for fraud, violating bank policies to continue illicit operations. | Undermined financial institution integrity and regulatory compliance frameworks. | 18 U.S.C. § 1344 | National | 2017–2021 | Financial institutions, Law enforcement |
| 1024 | International Financial Transactions | Chabot transferred illicit funds to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as part of her money mule operations. | Enabled transnational movement of criminal proceeds beyond U.S. jurisdiction. | International | 2017–2021 | International authorities, Financial institutions | |
| 1025 | Restitution and Forfeiture | Chabot faces $5.2 million restitution and forfeiture of a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe as part of her plea agreement. | Addresses victim compensation and asset recovery from criminal proceeds. | 18 U.S.C. § 3663, 18 U.S.C. § 3664 | National | Post-conviction | Victims, U.S. Government |
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