$175M Check-Cashing Scheme Was Operated By Two Burlington Co. Women, Feds Say

CAMDEN, NJ — Two Burlington County women were arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to fail to file currency transaction reports and operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, the U.S. Attorney General's Office said.

The business that the charges against Juliana Gomes-Souza, 45, of Cinnaminson and Luciana Machado, 42, of Riverside, stem from cashed more than $175 million in checks, according to officials.

Gomes-Souza and Machado were expected to appear in a U.S. Magistrate judge's courtroom for their first court appearance on Thursday, officials said.

"Since at least 2018, Machado and Gomes-Souza have operated two businesses — Via Brazil I in Riverside and Via Brazil II in Philadelphia — as a criminal enterprise that has allowed their customers to cash over $175 million in checks without generating [currency transaction reports] or financial records identifying their customers," officials said in a news release.

This act may allow for employees to be paid off-the-books in cash, thus avoiding their requirement to pay payroll and income taxes, according to officials.

Gomes-Souza and Machado each face up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, "or twice the gross financial gain derived or twice the loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest," officials said.

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