Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Christopher A. Henry, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Nashville Field Office announced today that Unites States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr. sentenced Anas N. Atrach of McAllen, Texas, to 3 years’ probation, the first six months of probation TO be home detention with electronic monitoring. Atrach was also ordered to serve 300 hours of community service with at least 100 hours each year. A $5,000 fine plus interest was imposed to be paid immediately or at least $500 per month. A Cadillac Escalade was forfeited. Anas N. Atrach pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Structure Currency Transactions on April 10, 2014.
Special Agent in Charge Henry commented, “Structuring financial transactions to avoid currency reporting requirements is a criminal violation of federal law under the Bank Secrecy Act. Deliberately avoiding BSA requirements is a form of money laundering that will be vigorously investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation."
In March 2013, Doris Ann Miles, Anas N. Atrach, and Anwar Alatrach were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to structure currency transactions, structuring, and causing a business to file a report containing a material omission and/or misstatement.
The charges in the Superseding Indictment, state that in July 2011, Doris Ann Miles, Anas N. Atrach, and Anwar Alatrach knowingly and intentionally conspired with each other to structure currency transactions with financial institutions in order evade the reporting requirements of those financial institutions. The structured currency was used to purchase a 2011 Cadillac Escalade in the amount of $82,035. The Escalade was ordered and a down payment was made with a $9,800 cashier’s check from an e-Banking account at Bank of America in Little Rock on July 22, 2011. On July 25, 2011, Miles deposited and then purchased a cashier’s check for $9,800. On July 26th, Miles and Anas N. Atrach both gave separate unnamed individuals $9,800 cash to purchase a cashier’s check. On July 27, 2011, Miles gave another two individuals cash and Atrach gave two individuals cash to purchase cashier’s checks. That same day, Anwar Alatrach deposited $9,800 in cash at a bank in Little Rock to purchase a cashier’s check. All of the cashier’s checks were taken to Parker Cadillac, Inc. on July 27, 2011. The next day, July 28th, Miles and Alatrach picked up the 2011 Escalade after Alatrach paid the remaining $200 balance with a VISA checkcard.
On January 29, 2014, Doris Ann Miles, 53, of Eldorado, pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Structure Currency Transactions. Miles was sentenced May 15, 2014, to 3 years’ probation and 120 hours of community service. She is required to perform at least 40 hours of community service each year. The forfeiture of the Cadillac Escalade is final as to Miles also.
After his indictment, Anwar Alatrach did not appear for his initial appearance and the judge then issued a bench warrant for his arrest. He is currently a fugitive.
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation with valuable assistance from the Benton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Jana K. Harris and Assistant United States Attorney Cameron C. McCree prosecuted the case for the United States.
*Original release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and reused with their permission*
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