Florida individual laundered $10 million in drug profits via casino transactions in Nevada and Mississippi
John Heekin, the US Attorney, has announced that the guilty plea of Rayvaughn Andrews, a Pensacola resident, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The charges against Andrews are in connection with a large-scale cocaine distribution operation that spanned multiple years and states.
The federal complaint does not provide detailed information about the laundering process or the specific casinos involved, other than Harrah's Casino. It is unclear from the filings whether this refers to Harrah's Las Vegas or Harrah's Gulf Coast Biloxi.
Andrews admitted to conspiring to distribute cocaine and laundering approximately $10 million in drug proceeds through casinos in Mississippi and Nevada. As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit assets linked to his operation, including $40K in cash and a Chevrolet Corvette.
The charges against Andrews include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Casinos can be used in money laundering schemes by purchasing chips with cash from illegal activities, minimizing bets, and cashing out to receive checks or transfers. Structuring, or "smurfing," is a money laundering tactic where an individual makes transactions below legal reporting thresholds to avoid scrutiny, and is a federal crime in itself. Only twice did Andrews' transactions exceed $10K, the threshold that requires casinos to file a report to the financial crime watchdog under federal law.
It is worth noting that, based on current data, there is no documented case of Harrah’s Casino involvement in money laundering tied to Rayvaughn Andrews. Searches have revealed general information on some casinos having anti-money laundering violations, discussions on regulatory and FBI surveillance practices in Nevada casinos, cases of other casinos involved in AML settlements, stories of banned criminals from casinos, and a federal lawsuit against a different Harrah's Casino unrelated to money laundering or Rayvaughn Andrews.
The operation allegedly ran from 2021 through 2024 and involved funneling large amounts of cocaine in Escambia County, Fla., and surrounding areas. Those profiting from drug trafficking in the Northern District of Florida can expect to face federal prison. The guilty plea includes asset forfeiture as part of the agreement.
- Rayvaughn Andrews, a Pensacola resident, confessed to conspiring with others in a large-scale cocaine distribution operation that occurred in Florida from 2021 to 2024.
- As part of the cocaine distribution network, Andrews also engaged in money laundering activities, structuring financial transactions to bypass reporting thresholds.
- Andrews laundered approximately $10 million in drug proceeds through casinos in Mississippi and Nevada, using casinos as a vehicle for his money laundering operations.
- The federal complaint does not provide specific details about the casinos involved, only mentioning Harrah's Casino, but it is undisclosed whether it refers to Harrah's Las Vegas or Harrah's Gulf Coast Biloxi.
- General news outlets have reported on various instances of casino-and-gambling establishments being involved in money laundering cases and other crime-and-justice issues like anti-money laundering violations and AML settlements, but there is no documented case linking Harrah's Casino to Rayvaughn Andrews' money laundering operations at this time.
