Local Attorney Pleads Guilty to Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business
2015-09-15 · Press release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luella Caldito and Daniel C. Silva at (619) 546-9713
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 15, 2015
SAN DIEGO – Attorney Richard Medina, Jr. pleaded guilty today in federal court, admitting that he and others operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that illegally conducted almost $12 million worth of international financial transactions in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act.
Medina entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernard G. Skomal. In his plea agreement, Medina admitted that he and other defendants operated a commercial enterprise that collected cash from clients in the U.S. and transferred it to points around the world without registering the business with the Secretary of the Treasury, as required by law. Medina also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge.
Medina and his co-conspirators, Omar Trevino Caro Del Castillo and Francisco Cuevas, obtained commissions for their services, extracting a fee from the millions of dollars transmitted abroad. Caro Del Castillo and Cuevas have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Medina, in his role in the conspiracy, illegally utilized his law firm’s “Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts” (IOLTA) for receipt, transport, and transmission of cash to international destinations. Civil attorneys routinely receive client funds, known as “Trust money,” to be held in trust for future use – including IOLTA Accounts.
Medina acknowledged in his plea agreement that he “knew or had reason to know that the cash transactions described [therein] were proceeds of unlawful activity, or were intended to promote unlawful activity.”
Medina is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2015 by U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez. U.S. Magistrate Judge Skomal allowed Medina to remain on pretrial release, pursuant to the terms of a bond posted by Medina.
DEFENDANT Case No. 14cr2936
Richard Medina Age: 39
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1960
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine, and forfeiture
Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Drug Enforcement Administration
Internal Revenue Service
- district_office
- usa_name
- event_type
- judge_name
- judge_title
- case_number
- max_penalty_text
- sentence_summary
- money_amounts
- crypto_assets
- statutes_json
- timeline_json
- press_release_url
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/local-attorney-pleads-guilty-operating-unlicensed-money-transmitting-business
- extras_json
| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2651 | Luella Caldito | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | San Diego | |||
| 2652 | Daniel C. Silva | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | San Diego | |||
| 2653 | Richard Medina, Jr. | defendant | Attorney | San Diego | 39 | awaiting sentencing | ||
| 2654 | Omar Trevino Caro Del Castillo | defendant | awaiting sentencing | |||||
| 2655 | Francisco Cuevas | defendant | awaiting sentencing | |||||
| 2656 | Bernard G. Skomal | judge | U.S. Magistrate Judge | U.S. District Court | San Diego | |||
| 2657 | Roger T. Benitez | judge | U.S. District Court Judge | U.S. District Court | San Diego |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1708 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | ||||
| 1709 | Drug Enforcement Administration | DEA | ||||
| 1710 | Internal Revenue Service | IRS | ||||
| 1711 | U.S. Attorney's Office | prosecution | San Diego Office | Luella Caldito, Daniel C. Silva | Handling the prosecution of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1386 | Conspiracy | 18 U.S.C. § 371 | Five years in prison | Richard Medina, Jr. | pleaded guilty | 0 | enrichment | |||||||
| 1385 | Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | Five years in prison | $250,000 | Richard Medina, Jr. | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 | |||||
| 3450 | Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business – Title 18, U | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 3451 | operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that illegally conducted almost $12 million worth of international fin | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 3452 | unlicensed money transmitting business that illegally conducted almost $12 mil | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 3453 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business – Title 18, U | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1365 | forfeiture | proceeds of unlawful activity | cash | Richard Medina, Jr. | |||
| 1366 | fine | $250,000 | USD | fine for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | cash | Richard Medina, Jr. | maximum penalty |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 695 | financial institution | IOLTA accounts | $12,000,000 | international | illegal financial transactions |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2923 | he and others operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that illegally conducted almost $12 million worth of international financial transactions in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act | Richard Medina, Jr. | Attorney | null | statement | plea agreement | Admission of guilt in operating an illegal money transmitting business |
| 2924 | he and other defendants operated a commercial enterprise that collected cash from clients in the U.S. and transferred it to points around the world without registering the business with the Secretary of the Treasury, as required by law | Richard Medina, Jr. | Attorney | null | statement | plea agreement | Description of the illegal activities conducted |
| 2925 | he knew or had reason to know that the cash transactions described [therein] were proceeds of unlawful activity, or were intended to promote unlawful activity | Richard Medina, Jr. | Attorney | null | statement | plea agreement | Acknowledgment of knowledge of the illegal nature of the transactions |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | Operating an unlicensed business that conducted $12 million in international financial transactions without registering with the Treasury. | Violated the Bank Secrecy Act, enabling illegal financial activities. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | Defendants, Law enforcement, Financial institutions | |
| 1937 | Conspiracy | Collaboration among Medina, Caro Del Castillo, and Cuevas to operate the unlicensed business and launder money. | Demonstrates coordinated illegal activity, leading to charges under conspiracy laws. | 18 U.S.C. § 371 | International | Defendants, Law enforcement | |
| 1938 | Money Laundering | Transferring funds known to be proceeds of unlawful activity or intended to promote such activity. | Indicates intent to conceal illegal origins of funds, central to the case. | International | Defendants, Law enforcement, Victims | ||
| 1939 | Unauthorized Use of Trust Accounts | Misuse of law firm's IOLTA accounts to handle and transmit illicit funds. | Abuse of legal trust mechanisms to facilitate illegal transactions. | National | Legal professionals, Financial institutions, Clients | ||
| 1940 | International Financial Transactions | Large-scale movement of funds across international borders without proper authorization. | Central to the unlicensed business and money laundering activities. | International | International financial entities, Law enforcement |
CourtListener / RECAP
No linked CourtListener docket yet.