PA Man Pleads to Major Pot & Money Laundering Ring.

BOSTON – A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in connection with a large-scale marijuana distribution and money laundering ring operating between California and the East Coast.

Ratanack Oung, a/k/a Yoshi, 32, of Allentown, Pa., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

In September 2016, Oung was indicted on these charges and arrested with co-conspirator Virayuth Chau, 40, of Temecula, Calif., who pleaded guilty in March 2013.

U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 13.

Beginning around January 2014, Chau and Oung shipped large quantities of marijuana from California to the East Coast of the United States.

When payment for the marijuana was due, Oung collected drug proceeds from co-conspirators and deposited the cash (typically in an amount under $10,000) into one of many “feeder” accounts in banks on the East Coast, including a Bank of America in Lowell, according to court documents.

The “feeder” accounts were maintained in the names of businesses or persons associated with Chau in order to disguise the nature and ownership of the drug proceeds flowing into the accounts.

Once the money was deposited, it was either withdrawn in cash in California or transferred into a “target” account, which was an account controlled by Chau and then withdrawn.

In total, the operation distributed between 1,000 to 3,000 kilograms of marijuana and laundered approximately $6.1 million in drug proceeds.