Federal Agents Find $20 Million Hidden In A Mattress
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BOSTON (CBSDFW) - You have millions of dollars to hide ... what do you do with it? Bury it outside? How about it in a safe, maybe? How about a mattress?
Well, that's what one man decided to do.
Cleber Rene Rizerio Rocha, 28, was arrested January 5th in connection with conspiring to launder proceeds of the massive TelexFree pyramid scheme, the US Attorney's office announced today.
Federal investigators recovered approximately $20 million in cash hidden inside a box spring in a Westborough, Mass. apartment.
Authorities say Rocha traveled to the U.S. from Brazil in early January to meet a person who is a cooperating witness in the pyramid scheme case. The witness allegedly gave Rocha a suitcase filled with $2.2 million in bills during their meeting at a restaurant.
Federal agents followed Roca to an apartment complex, where they arrested him. Later that night the agents discovered the large pile of cash in the boxspring.
Agents say Rocha was acting as a courier for Carlos Wanzeler, one of the founders of TelexFree Inc., a Massachusetts-based Internet phone service company.
According to federal authorities, TelexFree morphed into a pyramid scheme that defrauded people out of around $1 billion.
Wanzeler fled to Brazil in April 2014, where he still remains today.
Rocha faces up to 20 years in prison on the money laundering charge.
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