An Orlando woman who funded a lavish lifestyle by washing her husband’s drug money was sentenced to five years in federal prison this week.
U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron handed down the sentence to Island Thi Truong, 40, following her guilty plea last August. Beyond the prison term, the court ordered the forfeiture of two properties and two luxury watches—items prosecutors say were bought with dirty cash to hide their true source.
According to court documents, Truong played a key financial role in a drug operation run by her husband, George Pherai-Bogeajis. While Pherai-Bogeajis trafficked significant quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine, Truong worked to make the profits look legitimate.
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Investigators outlined a scheme where Truong funneled over $750,000 in illicit proceeds through a fake tax services company. She utilized extensive cash deposits and third-party nominees to write checks in exchange for cash, effectively scrubbing the money of its criminal origins.
The laundered funds supported high-end vacations and expensive jewelry, including an 18-karat yellow gold Rolex valued at roughly $44,000.
The sentencing marks the end of the road for the couple’s operation. Pherai-Bogeajis has already been convicted separately for conspiracy to distribute large amounts of fentanyl and meth, receiving a sentence of 19 years and 7 months in federal prison.
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