NYC authorities charge check-cashing companies in alleged ground zero money-laundering scheme
By APWednesday, July 29, 2009
NYC check-cashing companies charged in tower scam
NEW YORK — New York City authorities say an investigation into a contaminated ground zero skyscraper has turned up a money-laundering scheme.
Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau announced charges Tuesday against two men he says helped construction business owners cash millions of dollars worth of checks without reporting the transactions to the government.
The indictment against 46-year-old Riad Khalil of Brooklyn and 53-year-old Neil Goldstein of Marlboro, N.J., claims they skirted laws requiring that cash transactions exceeding $10,000 be reported to the government. Both were charged with falsifying business records and pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
Officials say the alleged scheme involved checks to companies working on the former Deutsche Bank building being taken down across from the World Trade Center site.
