Former Banco Peravia Owner, Gabriel Arturo Jimenez Aray, Sentenced for Money Laundering Scheme in Dominican Republic

Justice for a Billion-Dollar Money Laundering Operation

A Chicago-resident Venezuelan national, Gabriel Arturo Jimenez Aray, faced justice in a Florida courtroom on Tuesday. He was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a money laundering operation involving currency exchange schemes in the Dominican Republic. The total value of the operation was over a billion dollars.

Assistance from Multiple Agencies

The sentencing was announced jointly by:

• Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division
• U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida
• Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE-HSI) Miami Field Office
• Special Agent in Charge Mark B. Dawson of HSI’s Houston Field Office
• Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office
• Inspector General Jay N. Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) Washington, D.C. Office

Role of the Former Banco Peravia Owner

Jimenez, 50, who was the former proprietor of Banco Peravia in the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy on March 20, 2018. He admitted in court that he:

1. Conspired with Raul Gorrin Belisario and others
2. Acquired Banco Peravia
3. To pay bribes to Venezuelan officials
4. In exchange for government contracts for currency exchange schemes
5. Used the bank to launder the proceeds from those schemes

Jimenez and his co-conspirators chose to channel their illicit activities through Banco Peravia. Jimenez facilitated this by processing bribe payments to foreign officials and other intermediaries via bank-issued credit cards, cash disbursements, wire transfers, and other financial transactions.

Investigations and Criminal Proceedings

Investigations for this case were conducted by:

• HSI Miami
• HSI Houston
• HSI Boston
• FBI Miami
• FDIC

The criminal proceedings are being pursued by:

• Trial Attorneys Vanessa Sisti Snyder, Paul A. Hayden, and John-Alex Romano from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section
• Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Nadler and Nalina Sombuntham from the Southern District of Florida

The Fraud Section, part of the Justice Department, is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) cases. More details on the department’s FCPA enforcement initiatives can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.

Spanish National Police’s Role

Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) played a significant role in the investigation.