CAR DEALER IMPRISONED FOR MONEY LAUNDERING

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- Antonio Costa, 38, of Rochester, New York, was sentenced to federal prison today by District Judge David G. Larimer , U.S. Attorney Terrance P. Flynn of the Western District of New York announced. Costa, who plead last year to a felony charge of conspiracy to launder criminal proceeds, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by a term of supervised release of 2 years. Costa also agreed to forfeit nearly $170,000 in cash and motor vehicles previously seized by the government in connection with the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who handled the case, stated that the defendant, a principal owner of Rochester Auto Connection, LLP., a car dealership formerly located at 2025-2055 East Ridge Road in Rochester, NY, admitted that from approximately January 2000 to May 2006, he participated in numerous transactions in which he sold motor vehicles to customers who paid cash for their motor vehicles. The cash Costa received from the customers was derived, however, from criminal activities, including illegal drug trafficking. In entering the plea, Costa admitted that he willfully entered into the transactions and received the cash payments, knowing that the proceeds were in fact derived from unlawful activity. The amount of money laundered by Costa was between $400,000 to $1,000,000.

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service.