A mom and son from Florida have been arrested and charged with cash laundering after regulation enforcement discovered the pair allegedly arrange pretend actual property companies and shell corporations to course of earnings made by way of prostitution.
Christopher Jelavic, 48, and his 70-year-old mom Margareta von Lambert have been arrested inside a day of each other on September 11 and 12 respectively.
The duo are accused of laundering cash with the proceeds allegedly totaling within the a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars}.
Courtroom paperwork element how Jelavic and von Lambert have been based mostly in South Florida and operating a Pompano Seashore enterprise known as Fairly Girl Escorts as a ‘prison enterprise engaged in business intercourse.’
Margareta von Lambert, 70, was arrested costs of cash laundering and deriving help from the proceeds of prostitution
Von Lambert is alleged to have run the prostitution empire alongside her son, Christopher Jelavic, 48
The enterprise is alleged to have been operating for many years having been initially arrange in April 2000.
Detectives recognized a bland constructing on the nook of North Dixie Freeway as the middle of the operation, with county information exhibiting an organization associated to Jelavic bought the business constructing in 2005 when he was simply 24.
Within the years since, the mom and son allegedly arrange shell corporations registered with the Florida Division of Firms as a way to ‘facilitate the laundering of business intercourse proceeds.’
Von Lambert is alleged to have used her Florida-registered actual property license to facilitate the enterprise and supply an air of legitimacy, the paperwork state.
However the whole empire got here crumbling down after detectives with the Broward County Sheriff’s Cash Laundering Job Pressure grew to become suspicious when Jelavic positioned a number of advertisements and classifieds for ‘escort companies’.
Regardless of there having been a number of investigations through the years into Fairly Girl Escorts, none had been profitable at disrupting or dismantling the enterprise, nor at discovering these liable for operating the seedy enterprise, experiences CBS Miami.
Margareta von Lambert, pictured, had set herself up legitimately as a realtor however detectives consider the properties listed have been a canopy as a way to launder cash from prostitution
Detectives regarded again by way of earlier investigations and located people allegedly ‘participating in a sample of racketeering exercise’ that included prostitution and cash laundering by way of Fairly Girl Escorts and the opposite companies.
Police then arrange a brand new investigation which noticed them collect further info from information searches along with proof from surveillance, visitors stops, subpoenas, recorded telephone calls, confidential sources, undercover operations and ever searches within the trash.
After sifting by way of the rubbish, detectives additionally monitored the comings and goings of each automobile and one that visited the Pompano Seashore property.
The intercourse staff have been described as being ‘younger Hispanic and European’ ladies with shoppers paying $400 for an hour with them.
Broward Sheriff’s Workplace Detective Jairo Barrera defined how the intercourse staff earned 55 p.c share whereas Jelavic’s reduce was set at 45 p.c.
The enterprise additionally used drivers who acquired round $25 for every journey as they traveled to the consumer’s places between 6pm and 5am.
Detectives recognized the nook constructing at 3311 North Dixie Freeway, as the middle of the operation with county information exhibiting an organization associated to Jelavic bought the business constructing in 2005 when he was simply 24
Authorities say that at one level Jelavic and von Lambert, pictured, tried to depart the U.S. for Brazil as a way to keep away from being prosecuted, in response to the paperwork
However the strain seemed to be mounting and in a single incident on July 25, paperwork element how a confidential supply instructed detectives that Jelavic allegedly expressed ‘deep frustration and stress’ to his mom about ongoing points with the enterprise and urged they focus extra on actual property ventures.
Detectives investigated additional and came upon by way of a confidential supply how Jelavic instructed an affiliate that he needed to cancel attending an occasion that evening due to a ‘main situation with an worker.’
In response to the paperwork as seen by Local10 which run to greater than 100 pages, Jelavic defined how a girl he had been coaching for a month by accident despatched a mass textual content message to all of his shoppers.
It led to the entire shutdown of his enterprise operations leaving his telephone disconnected and enterprise to cease functioning.
After the incident, Jelavic stated that he was ‘fed up with the stress’ of the enterprise.
Considered one of his associates then urged he ought to concentrate on actual property as a substitute.
Paperwork then element how Jelavic allegedly met up along with his mom once more on August 1.
On that event the pair mentioned about transferring properties to his personal teenage son so as cut back tax liabilities.
The investigation discovered that Jelavic’s financial institution accounts with Financial institution of America, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Chase had allegedly acquired about $174,000 by way of numerous means together with Zelle, bank card transactions and money deposits.
It is alleged the entire cash got here from prostitution earnings between June 2023 and June 2024.
The funds have been then allegedly drained out of his financial institution accounts utilizing checks and on-line transfers to a joint accounts along with his mom, von Lambert, paperwork state.
Over the identical time interval, von Lambert’s checking accounts acquired round $84,000 in deposited checks and Zelle funds that got here from the identical account.
Jelevic’s shell corporations then allegedly bought a Tamarac property with von Lambert because the realtor concerned who helped ‘facilitate this cash laundering transaction.’
Authorities say that at one level Jelavic and von Lambert tried to depart the U.S. for Brazil as a way to keep away from being prosecuted, in response to the paperwork.
Jelavic and Lambert each face costs of cash laundering and deriving help from the proceeds of prostitution.
The pair will stay in jail till they show that the supply of their bail has nothing to do with the alleged crimes.
If correctional deputies launch them on bond, they won’t be allowed to journey outdoors Broward or Palm Seashore counties.
