Attorney Charged With Laundering Drug Money
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging Ralph Crozier, 61, an attorney based in Seymour, with federal money laundering offenses.
As alleged in court documents, prior to September 2011, Crozier convinced a client to invest $30,000 in cash in a solar energy company. Crozier knew that the cash was derived from his client’s narcotics trafficking activities.
Crozier was arrested at his office on April 11, 2013, after he allegedly accepted an additional $11,000 in purported drug proceeds to invest on behalf of his client.
The indictment, which was returned on June 11, 2013, charges Crozier with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of attempt to launder monetary instruments. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million.
Crozier is currently released on a $200,000 bond.
Acting U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, which includes the Connecticut State Police and the Stratford, Stamford, Bridgeport, Norwalk and Westport Police Departments.
