Out of state man pleads guilty to laundering email scam proceeds
2025-02-06 · Press release
Summary: A California man has admitted to operating an illegal money transmitting business
HOUSTON – A California man has admitted to operating an illegal money transmitting business, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Victor Rubio Jr. admitted that from 2021 to 2022, he operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Rubio ran the unlicensed money transmitting business by using shell companies that existed only on paper.
As part of the plea, Rubio acknowledged opening and maintaining bank accounts to collect money from at least two victims in a BEC scheme, including a healthcare liability insurance company headquartered in Georgia and a township in New Jersey. Then, for a fee, he transmitted the fraud proceeds to co-conspirators.
In response to fraudulent wire instructions from spoofed email accounts, victims sent interstate wire transfers for payment to Rubio instead of to the true creditors to whom the victims owed money.
More than 45 people in multiple states, including Rubio and seven others in the Southern District of Texas, have been charged in separate business email compromise schemes that affected numerous victims.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks will impose sentencing April 22. At that time, Rubio faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FBI - Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Thomas Carter are prosecuting the case.
- district_office
- Southern District of Texas
- usa_name
- Nicholas J. Ganjei
- event_type
- plea
- judge_name
- George Hanks
- judge_title
- U.S. District Judge
- case_number
- max_penalty_text
- up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine
- sentence_summary
- money_amounts
- $250,000
- crypto_assets
- statutes_json
- timeline_json
- {"indictment_date": null, "plea_date": null}
- press_release_url
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/out-state-man-pleads-guilty-laundering-email-scam-proceeds
- extras_json
| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Victor Rubio Jr. | defendant | California | pleaded guilty | ||||
| 126 | Nicholas J. Ganjei | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Southern District of Texas | |||
| 127 | George Hanks | judge | U.S. District Judge | U.S. District Court | Southern District of Texas | |||
| 128 | Belinda Beek | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Southern District of Texas | |||
| 129 | Thomas Carter | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Southern District of Texas |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | Bryan Resident Agency | conducted the investigation | |
| 91 | Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation | IRS CI | investigation | conducted the investigation | ||
| 92 | U.S. Attorney's Office | USAO | prosecution | Southern District of Texas | Belinda Beek, Thomas Carter | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | 5 years in prison | $250,000 | Victor Rubio Jr. | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:53+00:00 | ||||||
| 2395 | operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from a business email compromise ( | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:53+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2396 | unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds fro | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:53+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2397 | unlicensed money transmitting business by using shell companies that existed o | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:53+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | fine | $250,000 | USD | Maximum possible fine for operating unlicensed money transmitting business | Victor Rubio Jr. | pending |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | business | healthcare liability insurance company headquartered in Georgia | Georgia | Sent interstate wire transfers to Rubio instead of true creditors | |||
| 33 | government | township in New Jersey | New Jersey | Sent interstate wire transfers to Rubio instead of true creditors |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | A California man has admitted to operating an illegal money transmitting business | Nicholas J. Ganjei | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Department of Justice | statement | Announcement of guilty plea in press release | Official acknowledgment of Rubio's admission to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business tied to BEC fraud proceeds |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 136 | Business Email Compromise (BEC) Schemes | Rubio's operation involved receiving funds from BEC victims tricked by fraudulent emails. | Source of the illicit funds, highlighting common cybercrime method. | National | Recent development | Victims, Rubio, co-conspirators |
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