Man pleads guilty in cross-country marijuana, money laundering scheme

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A 53-year-old California man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a cross-country money laundering conspiracy tied to marijuana trafficking, authorities announced Friday.

Nicholas Parks, of Winnetka, California, admitted to conspiring to launder more than $329,000 in drug proceeds between October 2020 and January 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

Prosecutors say Parks worked with a network of co-conspirators who transported marijuana from California to Maryland, often using commercial flights.

After arriving separately, Parks would help distribute the drugs locally with others involved in the operation.

Once the marijuana was sold, the group used multiple methods to move the proceeds back to California.

ALSO READ | Baltimore man facing life in prison for armed gas station carjacking

In some cases, cash was driven across the country.

In others, a Maryland-based contact funneled the money through financial institutions in layered transactions designed to conceal its origin.

Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) uncovered the scheme using a combination of surveillance techniques, including controlled money drops, text message analysis, and recorded calls and meetings.

A key break in the case came on October 15, 2020, when Texas Highway Patrol officers stopped one of the co-conspirators in Carson County, Texas.

During the traffic stop, authorities seized approximately $109,000 in cash and a cell phone.

A subsequent search of the phone revealed extensive text exchanges with Parks, including detailed ledgers of marijuana sales and payment distributions.

Messages also indicated that Parks had provided cash to be transported from Maryland to California, with a planned stop in Oklahoma to drop off part of the proceeds.

ALSO READ | Linthicum Heights man charged after vehicle damages three Lindale Middle School fields

The co-conspirator later confirmed to investigators that the money was tied to marijuana sales and that he was transporting it back to California.

Federal agents also conducted three controlled money drops between December 2020 and January 2021.

During those operations, co-conspirators unknowingly handed off about $220,000 in cash to confidential informants, who deposited the funds into accounts controlled by HSI.

The money was later withdrawn in California and distributed to individuals believed to be involved in marijuana cultivation.

Parks faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

His sentencing is scheduled for July 27 at 2:30 p.m.

A judge will determine the final sentence based on federal guidelines and other factors.