News (Media Awareness Project) - US FL: Money-Launderers Get Reduced Terms |
| Title: | US FL: Money-Launderers Get Reduced Terms |
| Published On: | 1999-05-27 |
| Source: | Tampa Tribune (FL) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-06 05:24:11 |
MONEY-LAUNDERERS GET REDUCED TERMS
TAMPA - Three family members are sentenced in federal court on charges
involving drug money.
A former Ybor City night club director and his divorced parents were
sentenced in fed eral court Wednesday for their part in a scheme to
launder about $1.5 million in drug money.
Lee Okenfus and his father, Eugene, pleaded guilty in November to
conspiracy to commit money laundering. Doris Okenfus pleaded guilty to
structuring a financial transac tion to avoid having to report the
income to the government.
Federal prosecutors said the family became involved in the scheme when
another son was arrested on drug charges in New York in 1996.
Jon Okenfus asked his fam ily to take large amounts of money before
authorities found it, prosecutors said.
The money then was used to buy property, among other
things.
Lee Okenfus, 37, was sentenced to time served, two years of supervised
release and one year of home detention. Lee Okenfus, who was held at
Morgan Street Jail for 17 months, faced a maximum of 20 years in
federal prison.
Lee Okenfus was director of the former Ybor nightclub Fla
vours.
Because Lee Okenfus pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators,
prosecutors did not oppose a reduced sentence. However, he still faced
a sentence of three to four years.
But U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, noting that Lee Okenfus
suffers from a life-threatening illness and has extensive medication
needs, agreed to a further reduction.
Eugene Okenfus, 66, was sentenced to 51 months in prison, to be
followed by two years of supervised released.
He faced up to 20 years in prison, but prosecutors didn't oppose a
reduced sentence.
Merryday said Eugene Okenfus could serve his time while completing a
15-year sen tence in New York for conspiracy to traffic drugs.
Doris Okenfus, 65, was sentenced to time served. She spent about a
week in jail after her arrest.
She faced up to five years in prison. Merryday agreed that she became
embroiled in the money-laundering scheme only because of Lee Okenfus'
actions when he used some of the drug money to buy a Bayshore
Boulevard condominium in his mother's name.
TAMPA - Three family members are sentenced in federal court on charges
involving drug money.
A former Ybor City night club director and his divorced parents were
sentenced in fed eral court Wednesday for their part in a scheme to
launder about $1.5 million in drug money.
Lee Okenfus and his father, Eugene, pleaded guilty in November to
conspiracy to commit money laundering. Doris Okenfus pleaded guilty to
structuring a financial transac tion to avoid having to report the
income to the government.
Federal prosecutors said the family became involved in the scheme when
another son was arrested on drug charges in New York in 1996.
Jon Okenfus asked his fam ily to take large amounts of money before
authorities found it, prosecutors said.
The money then was used to buy property, among other
things.
Lee Okenfus, 37, was sentenced to time served, two years of supervised
release and one year of home detention. Lee Okenfus, who was held at
Morgan Street Jail for 17 months, faced a maximum of 20 years in
federal prison.
Lee Okenfus was director of the former Ybor nightclub Fla
vours.
Because Lee Okenfus pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators,
prosecutors did not oppose a reduced sentence. However, he still faced
a sentence of three to four years.
But U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, noting that Lee Okenfus
suffers from a life-threatening illness and has extensive medication
needs, agreed to a further reduction.
Eugene Okenfus, 66, was sentenced to 51 months in prison, to be
followed by two years of supervised released.
He faced up to 20 years in prison, but prosecutors didn't oppose a
reduced sentence.
Merryday said Eugene Okenfus could serve his time while completing a
15-year sen tence in New York for conspiracy to traffic drugs.
Doris Okenfus, 65, was sentenced to time served. She spent about a
week in jail after her arrest.
She faced up to five years in prison. Merryday agreed that she became
embroiled in the money-laundering scheme only because of Lee Okenfus'
actions when he used some of the drug money to buy a Bayshore
Boulevard condominium in his mother's name.
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