Mr. Charles Vera, 30, of Dumont, was reportedly arrested in Bergen County on suspicion of money laundering.
Prosecutor Mark Musella claims that in September 2022, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit started looking into the transfer of money, including cryptocurrency, to various darknet websites that were specifically dedicated to the sale of stolen personal information.
Vera was recognized by the prosecutor’s office as the person supporting the transfer of funds in support of darknet activities by corresponding with several members of various online fraud rings and arranging transactions with darknet marketplaces in exchange for a fee, according to prosecutor Musella.
Vera was apprehended without incident on June 28, 2023, when the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Dumont Police Department employees carried out a court-ordered search warrant at his residence.
The charge is only an accusation, according to prosecutor Musella, and the defendant is assumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.