Leer en espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/p>\nVictor Jose Tomassoni, 38, is scheduled to appear in Miami federal court for a bond hearing on Wednesday afternoon. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering.<\/p>\n
FBI special agents accuse him of operating as a middleman as part of the global scheme.<\/p>\n
Feds: Scheme involved fake identities, shell companies<\/p>\n
According to a federal criminal complaint, North Korea, as it seeks to evade sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, \u201chas sponsored various subterfuge schemes to earn money for the regime\u201d \u2015 one of which is dispatching thousands of IT workers \u201caround the world to generate revenue that contributed to North Korea\u2019s weapons programs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese North Korean IT workers posed as non-North Korean foreign and U.S.-based remote workers and surreptitiously obtained contracts for remote IT work from companies around the world, including in the United States,\u201d the complaint states.<\/p>\n
FBI investigators said the workers \u201chave their wages paid to shell companies set up by Sri Lankan nationals\u201d and financial records showed that Tomassoni\u2019s companies \u2015 Delfinx Capital LLC and Mightylift Logistics LLC \u2015 received more than $550,000 from the network, with much of the money transferred onward. Prosecutors allege that Tomassoni got a 3% cut on the transactions.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven that Delfinx and Mightylift are companies in the construction industry and that (Tomassoni) is a civil engineer, it would be inconsistent with (his) line of work to receive salary payments for IT workers,\u201d the complaint states. \u201cThis inconsistency shows probable cause that (Tomassoni) and his companies are involved in layering illicitly earned funds from IT workers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Authorities said they initially questioned Tomassoni on July 2 after he arrived at Miami International Airport on a flight from Panama.<\/p>\n
Agents said he had traveled to the U.S. to pick up a $30,000 check from a bank that had closed his account due to a transfer he received from one of the co-conspirators. They said Tomassoni claimed he \u201cconducted cryptocurrency trades\u201d on behalf of that co-conspirator, as well as the co-conspirator\u2019s friends.<\/p>\n
\u2018Are they North Korean hackers or what\u2019<\/p>\n
Authorities said a search of Tomassoni\u2019s phone last Wednesday revealed several incriminating WhatsApp messages sent between June 20, 2025 and July 1.<\/p>\n
They said they showed that he discussed creating contracts and invoices describing transactions as engineering or software work after his bank \u201cask(ed) about some transactions.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Oct. 28, the complaint states that the co-conspirator told Tomassoni his clients were in China, using U.S. identities to join U.S. companies.<\/p>\n
Authorities said after the co-conspirator told Tomassoni that there were issues with the names passing \u201cknow your customer\u201d requirements, Tomassoni replied, \u201cbut why lol … are they north korean hackers or what.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the complaint, Tomassoni, after learning about the \u201cChinese\u201d workers using U.S. identities, said \u201che did not want to be involved in something like that\u201d and that he \u201cwould just be limited to providing the service of selling\u201d Tether cryptocurrency to the companies.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, authorities said Tomassoni continued to work on their behalf.<\/p>\n
Authorities said the WhatsApp chats also referenced ties to Miami-Dade: A message, they said, referenced a Wyoming-registered LLC with an address at the Toscano at Dadeland condominium complex at 7350 SW 89th St., which they said was \u201cassociated with\u201d Tomassoni.<\/p>\n
Potentially stiff penalties<\/p>\n
Records show Tomassoni was arrested and made an initial appearance in Miami federal court on Monday.<\/p>\n
Federal Bureau of Prisons records show he remained behind bars in the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami as of Wednesday morning, ahead of his 2 p.m. scheduled bond hearing.<\/p>\n
In an email to Local 10 News on Wednesday, Tomassoni\u2019s Miami-based attorney, Frank Gaviria, said his \u201coffice is still reviewing the government\u2019s complaint and conducting our own investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are allegations only, and Mr. Tomassoni will respond at the appropriate time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Filings show he\u2019s set to be arraigned on Aug. 3. The two money laundering charges each carry potential two-decade federal prison terms if convicted.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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