Homestead mother and son operate illegal $37 million check cashing business with construction companies
A mother and son have been charged with of running an illegal mini bank out of their home to help local contractors pay undocumented workers off the books.
Federal prosecutors in Miami arrested Anneri Sagrario Izurieta, 60, and her son Joseph Abdel Navarro Verde, 33, alleging that they disguised an illegal check cashing business as a construction business. In the criminal complaint, authorities accuse the two of processing $37 million in payments from multiple Miami-Dade construction firms over the past eight years reports the Miami Herald.
Sagrario and Navarro used their JANV Construction Services, which purported to be a construction business run out of the mother’s residence in Homestead, as well as another business called Every Construction Services to cash checks from other contractors at multiple regular banks according to the complaint and affidavit. They would charge a 5% fee for their payroll services allowing the construction firms pay undocumented immigrant workers off the books.
Son released on $200K bond, mother held in custody as “flight risk”
The son’s defense lawyer and the federal prosecutor reached an agreement under which Navarro would be released on a $200,000 personal surety bond. However, his mother, despite the assistant federal public defender Christian Dunham arguing her client should be released was ordered to be detained being considered a flight risk by the Miami federal magistrate judge overseeing the proceedings.
The judge wrote in the detention order that Sagrario, who is a legal US resident from Honduras, despite “having strong familial and community ties in Florida… has equally strong ties in Honduras as she has an established residence in Honduras, has a Honduran bank account, and regularly visits Honduras.” Furthermore, the magistrate noted that Sagrario had a prior criminal history.
The mother and son will be back in court this month to face arraignment. It is expected that they will be charged with conspiring to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business along with other related crimes.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.