Jacksonville entrepreneur Mauricio Chahine has pleaded guilty in a sweeping federal probe, admitting to laundering nearly a quarter-million dollars in drug proceeds through local businesses.
At a Glance
- Jacksonville businessman Mauricio Chahine pleads guilty to laundering $217,975
- Faces up to 40 years in federal prison for money laundering conspiracy
- Used two businesses to mask illicit funds via false equipment invoices
- Forfeiture agreement includes $12,000; fines could reach $250,000
- Federal agents posed as traffickers to secure evidence in sting
Entrepreneur’s Fall from Grace
Mauricio Chahine, 52, operated in the Jacksonville area for decades before his downfall in a federal sting that linked him to laundering drug money. From May to July 2024, Chahine falsified invoices for non-existent equipment purchases to help conceal cash transactions tied to narcotics trafficking. The laundering took place through two now-defunct businesses: Arby’s Seafood and Chicken Inc. and Albarakah International Grocery Inc.
As detailed in the Florida Times-Union, Chahine charged a 12% commission for laundering services. Though he attempted to present legitimate business fronts, the scheme collapsed under the weight of federal scrutiny.
Bigger Trend in Florida Fraud
Chahine’s case echoes the 2019 prosecution of Jacksonville Beach businessman Kyle Ryan Marcotte, who laundered over $57 million through a shell company connected to substance abuse testing labs. Marcotte’s fraud, reported by the Times-Union, involved 88 different recipients and helped funnel money from drug rehab centers under false pretenses.
In contrast, Chahine’s laundering operation was smaller in scale but still sophisticated. Federal authorities say Chahine worked with international contacts in Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama—complicating the money trail and increasing the scale of the operation’s reach.
Legal Consequences and Broader Lessons
Though no trial will occur due to Chahine’s guilty plea, he still faces up to 40 years in prison and fines as high as $250,000. Federal prosecutors say undercover agents posing as drug traffickers gathered key evidence before Chahine’s indictment in November 2024.
Chahine’s agreement to forfeit $12,000 is only a small portion of the funds allegedly funneled through his businesses. His case, observers say, is now a textbook example of how even seemingly small-scale businesses can play central roles in international money laundering—and how aggressive enforcement strategies continue to evolve in response.
