Dutch National Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Xiomara Christian, age 37, of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

Christian admitted that from May 2017 to November 2018, she and a co-conspirator laundered drug proceeds from Europe and Australia through bank accounts in the Northern District of New York, intending to conceal the true source of the proceeds, and to make it appear as though the money was legally obtained through legitimate business transactions.

On October 4, 2018, Christian delivered €101,950 ($114,816.09 USD) in drug proceeds to an undercover agent with the National Police of The Netherlands in The Netherlands. On October 5, 2018, an undercover agent with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission picked up $85,000 AUD ($57,843 USD) in drug proceeds from another co-conspirator in Melbourne, Australia. Christian then had the money wired through a bank account in Latham, New York, and sent to bank accounts in Panama.

At sentencing, scheduled for February 19, 2025, Christian faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The DEA investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting the case.