BURST
A Richmond woman has been sentenced to 18 months for money laundering after a lengthy investigation by B.C.’s anti-gang unit.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit announced that Alexandra Joie Chow, 37, had been handed the sentenced in Richmond provincial court on Monday morning.
Chow has pleaded guilty in February to one count of laundering the proceeds of crime.
Judge Richard Browning also ordered that cash and bank drafts seized by police during the investigation be forfeited.
CFSEU Sgt. Sarbjit Sangha said in a news release that “this is the first time in a decade that a money laundering investigation in British Columbia has resulted in a sentencing.”
She said the result underscores the impact of the work done by CFSEU’s gambling investigation team and reflects its “mandate to deliver a coordinated, multijurisdictional response to illegal gaming tied to organized crime, including money laundering, loan-sharking and sophisticated bookmaking, all in support of protecting British Columbians.”
In August 2019, the specialized investigative team began a probe into suspected loan-sharking and money laundering.
In November, 2021 officers did several searches in Richmond and Burnaby, including residences and vehicles associated with suspects and seized score sheets with client names and payment due dates, four cellular phones, two bank drafts totalling $50,000, $10,680 in Canadian cash, and three high end vehicles.
Chow was charged in 2023.
A year before she was charged, the B.C. director of civil forfeiture filed a lawsuit against her to keep a Porsche Cayman seized during the police raids.
That case alleged Chow was operating an unlicensed money services business and charging interest rates equivalent to approximately 120 per cent a year. It also alleged she was converting bulk amounts of cash derived from unlawful activity into bank drafts for clients and used her vehicle “to transport currency to and from various locations and financial institutions.”
“During the Investigation, an undercover officer provided A. Chow with a total of $776,100 in bulk cash in exchange for bank drafts totalling $740,000 purchased by A. Chow and other nominees.” the lawsuit said.
It alleged she got the 2008 Porsche using illicit proceeds.
Chow never filed a statement of defence in the civil forfeiture case. A few months later, the Porsche was forfeited to the B.C. government.
Chow originally faced six counts, but pleaded guilty to just one. She had no previous criminal record.