Two convicted of financial crimes

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) – Two people have been sentenced after the Justice Department said they were involved in crimes involving financial data. This announcement was made on October 21 by the Ministry of Justice. (DOJ)

According to the DOJ, 44-year-old Merrick Rice of Mullins and 32-year-old Miranda Aliff of Rock Creek have pleaded guilty to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions. The DOJ said both admitted to structuring bank deposits with illegal drug proceeds to evade reporting requirements for currency transactions.

Starting in 2019, Rice and Aliff, who were in a romantic relationship, became involved in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana and other controlled substances in and around Mullens, according to court documents and statements. Aliff admitted that Rice obtained the marijuana in large quantities from Jack Paskin, who arranged for the marijuana to be shipped to them from various sources in California, Oregon and elsewhere, the DOJ said.

On March 2, 2020, the DOJ said Rice formed ‘She Paints Quite a Lot LLC, a sole proprietorship limited liability company, and listed Aliff as the sole member of the LLC. On March 3, 2020, Paskin, Rice and Aliff went to the Beckley branch of a domestic financial institution, where the DOj said they opened a business bank account in the LLC’s name. The DOJ said Paskin and Aliff were listed as signatories on the bank account.

The DOJ said Rice and Aliff admitted that the LLC was not a legitimate business, and both admitted that the LLC was formed to transfer the proceeds of the marijuana distribution conspiracy from them to Paskin.

From March 17, 2020, through August 13, 2020, Rice, Aliff and others involved in the conspiracy made cash deposits of less than $10,000 into the LLC’s bank account, the DOJ said. The 27 transactions totaled $228,000, and the DOJ said Rice and Aliff admitted the transactions were intended to evade currency reporting requirements.

Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid that requirement.

The DOJ said Rice admitted to helping other people deposit a total of $54,000 in $9,000 installments on six separate occasions.

Aliff admitted, the DOJ said, that she and Rice purchased 111 money orders from the U.S. Postal Service totaling $109,000 as part of a scheme to pay Paskin. The DOJ said Aliff admitted that Rice told her how to conduct the transactions to avoid triggering U.S. Postal Service reporting requirements.

The DOJ said the money orders were payable to Paskin or Akashic Connections, a company founded by Paskin.

Paskin pleaded guilty to money laundering on August 21 and is awaiting sentencing.

Rice was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Aliff was sentenced to five years of federal probation.

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