Attention: News Director PRESS RELEASE May 10, 2007	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY Eastern District of Kentucky

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The operator of Stop N Shop Discount Foods, Abduhl Sulaiman, was arrested by federal agents and arraigned today, after being indicted by a federal grand jury on May 4, 2007, for charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and failure to file Currency Transaction Reports.

Over the past two decades, there has developed in the United States an illegal industry involving a pervasive black market for stolen goods that has come to be known as “Organized Retail Theft” (ORT) by law enforcement.

The indictment, which was unsealed today, alleges that Abduhl Sulaiman, 46, of Lexington, Ky., began providing check cashing services to Eyad Sulaiman, operator of a repackaging business within the ORT industry known as Alpha Trading in Louisville, in May of 2002.

Allegedly, Eyad Sulaiman would send Abduhl Sulaiman third party checks and wire transfers, which were the proceeds from the sale of repackaged stolen property to wholesalers. Abduhl Sulaiman would then deposit these checks and wire transfers into his business account at his bank in Lexington.

Abduhl Sulaiman would later withdraw the cash, deducting his cashing service fee of .75 percent of all deposited funds, and give the cash to Eyad Sulaiman. As part of the conspiracy, it is alleged that Abduhl Sulaiman received at least $613,464 of proceeds from unlawful activity, and delivered at least $69 million in cash to Eyad Sulaiman between May of 2002 and January of 2007.

If convicted, Abduhl Sulaiman faces up to 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction (whichever is greater), three years supervised release and forfeiture of assets obtained as a result of the scheme. Any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The Indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney David A. Marye.

Abduhl Sulaiman’s appearance before the United States District Court has not yet been set by the Court in Lexington, Ky.

The indictment of a person by a grand jury is an accusation only, that person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.