Uniontown Lawyer Accused Of Laundering Money For Drug Dealers
UNIONTOWN, Pa. (KDKA) -- Police say a Uniontown lawyer laundered money for drug dealers for a hefty price.
Tancredi Calabrese, 32, was the target of an eight-month police investigation for alleged money laundering.
"It is known that he would launder money through known drug dealers," trooper Robert Broadwater said.
According to court records, investigators used a confidential informant who was a former client of Calabrese.
Calabrese proposed setting up shell accounts to protect the sales.
"I believe, at first, it was supposed to be a nonprofit, but he opened up a business account for him. And that's how he would be able to launder the money through him," Broadwater said.
The lawyer allegedly wanted big money.
"It was $10-20,000. Then he tried to get another $30-40,000 off of him," Broadwater said.
Calabrese's defense attorney spoke to KDKA about the accusations.
"In this particular case, the government 'developed' a confidential informant, which means they gave him one get-out-of-jail pass," attorney Thomas Shaffer said.
Shaffer told KDKA that investigators saw what he calls a weakness in Calabrese's heroin addiction and exploited it.
"My client did it because he has an uncontrollable habit," Shaffer said.
"I believe it's a case of entrapment," he added.