Banker helped clients dodge money-laundering rules

Local banker Raymondo Navarrette pleaded guilty in federal court today (October 15) to taking bribes to help his clients avoid detection by Citibank's anti-money laundering compliance program.

In his plea agreement, Navarrette admitted that he recruited and failed to report Citibank customers he knew engaged in suspicious and high-risk activities. He took bribes of cash and other things of value to help those clients.

Navarrette concocted schemes in which shell bank accounts would be set up so his clients could engage in large volumes of cash transactions without triggering Citibank's anti-money-laundering reporting obligations.