Ion Viorel Ionitoiu is a 34 year old man from Romania. The Department of Justice has accused Ionitoiu of money laundering at least $5 million via online vehicle sales. He was extradited from Spain to the United States in February 2023.
Ion Viorel Ionitoiu Allegations
Ionitoiu Arrested And Extradited, Accused Of Money Laundering. “From at least March 2019 through at least April 2021, ION VIOREL IONITOIU was an intermediary between co-conspirators who defrauded consumers who were trying to buy vehicles online and a money laundering crew that operated in Brooklyn, New York. Other members of the conspiracy, pretending to represent car dealerships, advertised vehicles that they did not own and were not authorized to sell on fake websites with domain names that sounded like legitimate car dealerships or through online marketplaces like Craigslist and eBay. Victims who responded to those advertisements and negotiated a purchase price were instructed by the purported sellers to wire payment to bank accounts in New York. ” [Department of Justice]
DOJ: Money Laundering Ring Was Based In Brooklyn. “Unbeknownst to the victims, the accounts were opened at IONITOIU’s direction by co-conspirators who operated in Brooklyn, including KAROL KAMINSKI, STANISLAV TUNKEVIC, ARTURAS GILYS, and SVETLANA VAIDOTIENE. Once the payments cleared, the account owners quickly withdrew the funds before the victims realized they had been defrauded. The victims never received the vehicles they thought they had bought or any refunds from the fake sellers. In total, dozens of victims were defrauded of a total of at least $5 million.” [Department of Justice]
Ionitoiu Could Go To Prison For 20 Years If Convicted. “ION VIOREL IONITOIU, 34, a Romanian national and Spanish resident, was extradited to the United States on February 24, 2023. IONITOIU is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction.” [Department of Justice]
US Attorney: Ionitoiu Is Seventh Member Of Money Laundering Operation. “Ionitoiu is the seventh member of an operation that laundered fraud proceeds for online swindlers who preyed on U.S. consumers who has been charged, and he will now face justice for his actions. This Office is committed to rooting out both those who commit the underlying fraud and their enablers, regardless of where they reside.” [Department of Justice]
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