Alfonso Quesada of Miami, Florida was arrested Wednesday after he was accused of purchasing over a $1 million in gold for a prescription drug wholesaler, which is being investigated for alleged money laundering, news sources report. Quesada, 48, was booked into Broward County's Joseph V. Conte Facility on charges of unlicensed money services totaling $100,000 or more. A judge ordered that he be held in lieu of $450,000 bail bond. An attorney does not yet appear to have spoken on Quesada's behalf.
Countrywide Distributors LLC is a prescription drug wholesaler based out of Garden City, Michigan. The wholesaler is currently being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for reasons not specified in the press. Reports suggest the investigation has something to do with money laundering.
Based on reports, Quesada is not a licensed money transmitter. Such a person or company is allowed to transmit money to various domestic and international locations; apparently converting currency to gold bars counts as a money transmission. However, Countrywide apparently hired Quesada to purchase gold at Golden Opportunities in Hallandale Beach on 22 occasions. The transactions were for gold pellets and bars, sources say. It is not clear whether Countrywide was aware that Quesada was not licensed.
When police questioned Quesada, he reportedly said that someone named Armando Perez gave him checks from Countrywide each month for the purpose of purchasing gold. Quesada apparently was unable to provide police with Perez's contact information, and is unclear whether Perez has been arrested in connection with the case. In all, Quesada reportedly made out 22 checks for a total of $1,235,319 at the exchange business from January 2012 to October 2012.
The full details regarding the Countrywide Distributors investigation were not provided at press time. It is not yet known whether anyone else was or will be arrested in connection with that investigation.
South Florida is arguably home to some of the strangest crimes in the United States. Earlier this year, Lee County brothers Jacob and Michael Ruehlman were arrested after they were accused of abducting two endangered monkeys from a Nebraska woman, sources report. Michael and Jacob, both 20, were booked into police custody on charges of dealing in stolen property. It is unclear whether they have qualified for bail or hired legal representation.
