U.S. Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces that Senior U.S. District Judge W. Terrell Hodges yesterday sentenced Andrew D. Lemine (54, of Paisley, Florida) to two years in federal prison for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.  The court also ordered Lemine to forfeit $690,068.13, an amount equal to his proceeds from the offense.
 

According to court documents, between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2008, Lemine cashed at Sorrento Grocery approximately $4,065,896.00 in checks from a local construction company in return for a fee of between 1% and 1.5% of the checks’ face value. He did so knowing that the owners of the construction company were attempting by cashing the checks through the grocery to conceal their employment of illegal aliens, avoid paying worker's compensation and employment taxes, and hide income from state and federal tax officials. (click on link to read full story)