Des Moines grocery owner charged with money laundering related to drug trafficking

An owner of Hispanic grocery stores in Des Moines is facing federal charges that he used his businesses to launder as much as $1 million in drug trafficking proceeds.

Victor Hugo Barajas Estrada was charged in November with three federal money laundering offenses. According to the indictment, on three separate occasions, Barajas made money transfers totaling $18,000 “with the intent to conceal” that the money was proceeds from distribution of a controlled substance.

A federal magistrate judge provided further details of the allegations in an order filed Tuesday. It stated that Barajas agreed in conversations with undercover agents to launder proceeds of drug transactions, and after his arrest admitted to knowing “several large scale drug dealers” and laundering between $500,000 and $1 million through his businesses for them over a two-year period.

More: 18 indicted in nationwide bank fraud, money laundering scheme that included 8 Iowa banks

Court filings do not identify those businesses. Barajas is the owner of the La Victoria Mexican groceries.

Barajas is scheduled for trial in March, and has been ordered detained pending trial. An attorney representing him did not respond to a message seeking comment.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines grocery owner charged with money laundering