Middletown Man Charged With Laundering Money For African Crime Ring

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A Middletown man was indicted Friday for laundering money on behalf of Black Axe. Black Axe is an African gang based in Nigeria, responsible for widespread Internet fraud schemes, plus many other crimes, according to federal prosecutors.

Andrew Suarez, 29, of Middletown, was indicted on charges of money laundering conspiracy, substantive money laundering counts and aggravated identity theft.

His indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger.

From August 2017 through December 2017, Suarez worked with conspirators to launder money to entities in the Cape Town, South Africa, area, including to an account in the name of Abravoo Trading Company, an entity controlled by a founding member of the Cape Town Zone of Black Axe, say prosecutors.

Suarez opened up bank accounts in the United States. Suarez transferred the proceeds of the fraud schemes to other U.S. bank accounts and wired proceeds to bank accounts in Cape Town, South Africa. To avoid detection, Suarez changed the information on some of his bank accounts, so the accounts listed the name and address of a victim.

He is facing up to 20 years in prison.