Harrisburg Woman Pleads Guilty in $390,000 Municipal Money Laundering Scheme

A Harrisburg woman is facing up to 50 years in federal prison and a $1.5 million fine after pleading guilty to charges connected to a scheme that swindled approximately $390,000 from an unnamed municipality, local21news.com reported.

Charlette Baquero, 32, entered her guilty plea on Monday to charges including conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, laundering of monetary instruments, and engaging in a monetary transaction involving property derived from specified unlawful activity. Court records show she was initially indicted in January.

The fraudulent operation unfolded between July 2020 and early 2021. Prosecutors stated that Baquero worked alongside an individual she knew as “Omar,” who instructed her to establish bank accounts under the guise of a drainage company incorporated in her name.

Investigators determined that the business was entirely a shell company that generated zero income and performed no actual work. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, those corporate accounts were subsequently used to capture funds acquired through a business email compromise scam before being moved to other participants to obscure the trail.

Harrisburg Woman Pleads Guilty in $390,000 Municipal Money Laundering Scheme — Photo: justice.gov

The financial paper trail details three specific wire transfers originating from the victim municipality. An account opened by Baquero reaped $193,016 on Dec. 3, 2020, followed by another $100,705.70 on Dec. 16, and a final $96,174 on Jan. 13, 2021.

Shortly after the funds landed, prosecutors indicated that Baquero helped shuttle the money to various other individuals tied to the laundering ring. While she was originally promised a cut of the stolen municipal cash, court documents note that she ultimately received a used car for her role in the operation.

Federal authorities confirmed that Charlette Baquero is scheduled to appear in court for her sentencing hearing. In addition to the potential 50-year prison sentence and the $1.5 million monetary penalty, she could face three years of supervised release.