Money Laundering-Oregon

Thu Hang Thi "Anna" Nguyen of Portland, Oregon pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in a U.S. district court in January. ^[1] She knowingly used drug money to buy a convertible, according to investigators. ^[2] She entered into a plea agreement that would likely reduce her prison time from the 20-year maximum to just one year and a day although the plea agreement is only a recommendation, and the judge could refuse to honor it and impose a stiffer sentence. ^[3]

Her former live-in boyfriend, Mark Phommachanh, is serving more than three years in a federal prison on a conviction of marijuana trafficking as part of a conspiracy to distribute more than l00 kilograms of marijuana.^[4]

Ngyuyen was charged under 18 U.S.C. § 1956, which makes it a crime for a person to knowingly engage in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property which is derived from specified unlawful activity.^[5] The specified unlawful activity in this case is the marijuana trafficking of her boyfriend. The punishment for a violation of section 1956 is a fine, imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both.^[6] Alternatively, the court may impose an alternate fine of not more than twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction.^[7]

According to investigators, Phommachanh would deposit cash earned from drug sales into bank accounts belonging to himself and Nguyen; about $52,000 between September of 2002 and January of 2003.^[8] Nguyen then used the money to buy a car, investigators said. ^[9]

As part of her plea deal, Nguyen also had to forfeit assets including a house in Northeast Portland, a diamond ring, and cash. ^[10]

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[1] Craig Edwards, NE Portland Woman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering, February 14, 2007.
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a).
[6] Id. § 1956(a)(1).
[7] Id.
[8] Edwards, supra, note 1.
[9] Id.
[10] Id.