NEWARK, N.J. — A New York man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for laundering money obtained through schemes targeting elderly and vulnerable individuals, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced on March 26, 2025.
Hector Claveria, 51, of Elmhurst, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas after pleading guilty to one count of international money laundering—specifically Count Two of a federal indictment.
According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, Claveria acted as a money mule in early 2020, collecting packages of illicit cash and transferring the funds internationally.
In June 2020, he wired $20,000 from a U.S.-based bank account to a foreign account, fully aware the funds were derived from criminal schemes and intended to conceal their source and nature, prosecutors said.
The cash was tied to two fraudulent operations:
An elder fraud scheme in which seniors were falsely told they owed money to government agencies or private companies, prompting them to send cash.
A computer fraud scheme that tricked victims into paying for nonexistent tech services under threat of account or data compromise.
Investigators say Claveria knew the funds were criminal proceeds and helped obscure their origins by making the international transfer.
In addition to his prison sentence, Claveria received three years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $20,000.
The case was investigated by SSA’s Office of the Inspector General (Boston-New York Field Division) and led by Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chana Zuckier (Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit) and Jennifer Kozar (Economic Crimes Unit) in Newark.
