Miami pawn shop owner charged with money laundering

MIAMI, Fla. — A Miami pawn shop owner has been charged with money laundering and operating a money-transmitting business without a license.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (USAO) reported that Andrey Perov, 38, was charged by criminal complaint on March 20.

As alleged in the criminal complaint and underlying criminal complaint affidavit, Mr Perov owned Bee Pawn LLC, a pawn shop in Miami, and Hard Rock Giffies, a pawn shop in Hollywood.

Allegedly, from Jan. 27, 2021, through June 3, 2021, Perov or an associate of Perov, at Perov’s direction, laundered $110,000 that Mr Perov believed were drug proceeds.

The charging documents further allege that, from Dec. 17, 2021, through Nov. 22, 2022, an associate of Perov, under his direction, redeemed approximately $540,000 worth of purportedly stolen or fraudulent gift cards.

Furthermore, from 2017 through March 20, 2024, Mr Perov allegedly redeemed approximately $53 million in gift cards and money orders. As stated in the charging documents, he failed to obtain the required federal or state license to act as a money-transmitting business.

Perov made his initial appearance on March 20 in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $500,000, or up to twice the property value involved in the transactions concerning the conspiracy to commit money laundering charge.

Mr. Perov also faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the charge of operating a money-transmitting business without a license.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

IRS-CI, Miami Field Office and FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.

A criminal complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.