United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

March 5, 2008

EAST HARTFORD RESIDENTS INDICTED FOR ILLEGAL CASH STRUCTURING

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury has returned an Indictment charging MOHAMMAD GHOUSE, 43, and KATHRYN EMILIA, 31, both of 441 Main Street, East Hartford, with structuring and conspiracy to structure cash transactions in violation of federal law. The two-count Indictment was returned today.

The Indictment alleges that, between February and December 2005, GHOUSE and EMILIA made multiple cash deposits into a business bank account within a single day and broke up cash deposits into individual transactions involving less than $10,000 to avoid triggering the reporting requirements for cash transactions of more than $10,000.

Federal law requires that financial institutions file a report with the U.S. Treasury Department for any currency transaction that exceeds $10,000.

If convicted, GHOUSE and EMILIA face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the conspiracy count, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum fine of $500,000 on the structuring count. The Indictment also seeks the forfeiture of all money involved in the offense totaling $1,126,398.22.

U.S. Attorney O'Connor stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial at which it is the Government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan L. Wines.