“Socalj” for Borderland Beat
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| Mia and Olivia Flores are accused of pilfering $5 million in cash that they did not declare to the feds. |
Mia and Olivia Flores have pleaded guilty to federal charges including money laundering conspiracy. Both women had initially pleaded not guilty and appeared headed to trial on charges in Chicago that they misled federal authorities by claiming they had turned over a full stash of drug money amassed by their husbands, totaling millions of dollars, when in fact they had siphoned other millions and hidden the money in secret locations.
Soffer also pointed out the women did nothing to hide their drug world allegiance. “It doesn’t help the wives to be out there and touting their connections to the cartel. It certainly whets the appetite of the government,” Soffer said. “That’s enough to excite the government to pursue them criminally. They do themselves no favors though by claiming an attachment to the cartel.”
The “Wives of the Cartel” found hiding places in furniture shipments, under floorboards, and were shipped by mail to various addresses and postal boxes. Their stash of cash totaled $5 million, according to federal law enforcement officials. In some cases, the cash was used to pay for global vacations, $165,000 in private schools, shopping sprees, a J-Lo concert, and even currency laundered through friendly gas stations.
There is a maximum 20-year sentence for each of the women but prosecutors and the defendants will likely ask for a lesser sentence. The Flores twins themselves, are in the government’s Witness Protection Program.