Berkeley County, S.C. – Two men from Berkeley County are facing serious federal charges after being indicted for their roles in a $74 million money laundering conspiracy. The charges come after a federal grand jury in Charleston returned a 17-count indictment against the pair.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, 46-year-old Jimmy Soares De Oliveira Carvalho and 51-year-old Jose Rivelino Serafim Da Silva are accused of using fake companies to run an illegal financial operation.
How the Alleged Scheme Worked
Officials say the two men created 10 shell companies — fake businesses that claimed to be in the construction industry. These companies were used to process payments from real contractors who hired undocumented workers for both residential and commercial construction projects.
The accused then ran an unlicensed check-cashing business through these shell companies. They reportedly cashed checks for these workers and contractors and charged a fee of 3 to 5 percent for each transaction. This illegal operation processed approximately $74 million in checks from January 17, 2023, up until the day of the indictment.
Legal Consequences and Charges
Both men now face multiple felony charges and could serve long prison sentences if found guilty.
For Carvalho:
- On counts 1–12 and 17, he faces up to 20 years in prison per count.
- On counts 13–16, he faces up to 10 years per count.
- He is currently being held and will appear at a detention hearing on Friday.
For Da Silva:
- On count 1 and counts 9–12, he also faces up to 20 years in prison per count.
- On counts 13–16, he could face up to 10 years per count.
- Da Silva is scheduled for his first court appearance on Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Molly H. Cherry.
Investigation Details
The case is being handled by two major federal agencies:
- Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
Both agencies worked together to uncover this long-running financial scheme and collect evidence to support the charges.
This high-profile case is one of the largest recent money laundering cases in South Carolina. It highlights the ongoing problem of illegal financial activities tied to undocumented labor in the construction industry. Federal prosecutors say they are committed to taking strong action against those who exploit the system for personal profit.
