BOSTON – A Rhode Island man was arrested and charged with laundering more than $35 million in fraud proceeds through his accounting and “virtual CFO” business, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael S. Rollins announced Thursday.
Craig Clayton, 73, of Cranston, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of obstruction of justice for allegedly using his business, Rochart Consulting, as a front to launder the fraud proceeds through 80 bank accounts opened on behalf of 65 shell companies.
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Prosecutors said Clayton founded and used those shell companies to open business bank accounts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, through which he laundered the criminal proceeds for his clients in exchange for fees.
Prosecutors claim that Clayton said he and his business associates were “money mules complicit in their [Rochart’s clients’] offenses,” while he communicated with one of those associates. Clayton also said he was concerned that his phone was being tapped by police when speaking with one of his clients and sought to obtain “dirt” on a victim who had reported the fraud scheme in order to “distract the police.”
During the investigation, Clayton allegedly stated that several of his clients were “fugitives from justice” during a recorded conversation with an undercover law enforcement agent posing as a potential Rochart client, prosecutors said.
When banks and law enforcement began to investigate Rochart, Clayton falsely told investigators and bank personnel that his shell companies were legitimate businesses, prosecutors said. After he became aware that a federal grand jury was investigating him, Clayton allegedly attempted to obstruct the ongoing investigation by making several false statements to federal agents during an interview.
In addition to the arrest, five seizure warrants were executed on Rochart bank accounts holding several hundred thousand dollars of alleged money laundering proceeds and a Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle that Clayton purchased.
