COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Residents are now reflecting after federal investigators say three men stored drug money in a home in their neighborhood. The U.S. Attorney’s Office unsealed an indictment in one of the largest money laundering operations in state history.
“It is disturbing, honestly, scary also, like I said, it was in this neighborhood and now something to look out for,” said Kim Jones, a resident of Currituck Drive.
A grand jury indicted three people in the case, The three men, Nasir Ullah, Naim Ullah, who are brothers residing in Sumter, and Puquan Huang, who resides in Georgia are accused of laundering over $30 million of proceeds related to the distribution of illegal drugs in the country, the indictment stated. Each of the men is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the indictment, the defendants used properties off Currituck Drive and Rhododendron Street in Sumter County to store the drug money they received.
“That’s scary, that’s very scary, that goes to show even with the storefronts how they money launder their goods and drugs. It’s amazing that they could get away with it for so long to accumulate so much money and go across the road”, said Jones.
Residents in the neighborhood told WIS they’ve had a few interactions with the two brothers, Asir and Naim Ulla,h talking to them and seeing them walk around the neighborhood.
“I moved out here not too long ago, thinking it was a really quiet neighborhood, and lo and behold, you have a really big drug ring right down the street,” said Jones.
Mike Livingston lives on Currituck Drive, one of the two streets listed in the indictment as locations where the defendants hid millions of dollars. He lives just a few doors down from the home he said was swarmed with law enforcement vehicles and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration not too long ago.
“I never would have thought in a million years that that would be on this street. I was really surprised that a nice, quiet family would be able to do that,” said Livingston.
The indictment alleges the defendants used cash proceeds from drugs to purchase electronics and then shipped those electronics to China, the Middle East, and elsewhere to conceal the illegal source of their funds.
The DEA says this investigation focused on international and domestic money laundering for two of Mexico’s dominant drug cartels, both designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Acting U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews said the physical money laundering operation was being conducted at two unnamed storefronts in Sumter.
“The morning we saw the FBI and everything over there, I’m not exactly sure what day it was, it was on my way to work,” said Blaze Robertson, a resident
Residents told WIS that hearing the news exposed the hidden reality that you never know who may be living next to you.
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“It’s disturbing:” Sumter residents, neighbors reflect on $30M money laundering bust – WIS News 10
