TelexFree mattress money mule sentenced to 33 months in prison
Cleber Rene Rizerio Rocha, better known as the TelexFree mattress money mule, was busted earlier this year trying to launder $20 million in stolen Ponzi funds.
Following a guilty plea in October, Rocha was scheduled to be sentenced on December 20th.
The sentencing was delayed, following Rocha’s comical attempt to credit himself with the recovery of the $19.2 million in stolen TelexFree investors funds he was caught with.
Following a rescheduled sentencing hearing that took place yesterday, Rocha was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Rocha’s case ultimately boiled down to his role in assisting TelexFree owner and wanted fugitive, Carlos Wanzeler, with laundering millions of dollars in stolen investor funds.
(Wanzeler) left behind tens of millions of dollars that he laundered from TelexFree accounts, prosecutors said.
To retrieve the money, he and Leonardo Casula Francisco, Wanzeler’s nephew, sent Rocha to the United States on several trips to deliver portions of it to other money launders.
After his release Rocha will be subject to one year of supervised release.
Wanzeler’s primary accomplice and TelexFree co-owner James Merrill was sentenced to six years in prison early last year.
Last we heard Wanzeler has no intention of returning to the US to face justice for his crimes.
Even as those he recruited to recover funds stolen from TelexFree investors are arrested and sent to prison, Wanzeler remains wanted by US authorities.
Rocha: Gimme freedom, I helped, yes?
Judge: Nope. Buh-bye.
(Cuts to Brazil)
Wanzeler: We’re gonna need another Timmy!
Makes you wonder how much Wanzeler is still sitting on hey.
Now he goes by “Carlos Wanzy”.
how long has he been in prison already for?
Since Jan, 2017. Not sure if any of that counts towards Rocha’s 33 month sentence though.
the telexfreeclaims.com portal has been closed. seems that *finally* we are near a distribution.
from
justice.gov/usao-ma/united-states-v-carlos-wanzeler-and-james-matthew-merrill
wah whaaaat!!!! :p
The date for disbursement should told out to claimants so that they are composed and sure! thanks
I got an email from this website requesting for my Telexfree claims details:
attributeduseraccounts.telexfreeclaims.com/
It looks suspicious. Has anyone else gotten an email from them? Should I fill my details as requested? Is it official? This is confusing. Kindly help!
That’s the legitimate claims portal domain. The Trustee has been using it since 2016.
I was being asked to put in my details and change my password. The attributeduseraccounts in front of the telexfreeclaims.com makes it looks suspicious.
(Ozedit: 404 link removed) what is this?
People are becoming suspicious! why note make a telexfree noticing to everybody?
No idea what “that” was, you linked to a 404 not found page on the claim website.
Because not everyone is in the same basket. You have victims with approved claims and victims trying to claim promised ROIs are actual money.
Once the latter have been dealt with the claims process moves forward.
Seeing as none of the victims were suspicious about dumping money into an obvious Ponzi scheme, I think the Receivership will be fine.