The Pender County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) have identified a large-scale Moldovan and Russian money laundering scheme.
According to a press release, Valentin Virlizanu of Raleigh was arrested earlier this week with the assistance of the Raleigh Police Department. An arrest warrant has also been issued for his brother, Vasile Virlizanu. The SBI is requesting the public’s help in locating Vasile.
Both men are facing multiple felony charges, including:
– felony conspiracy
– felony money laundering
– felony obtaining property by false pretenses
– felony use of a government computer to defraud
Valentin Virlizanu was booked into the Pender County Detention Center and has been released on a $25,000 bond.
This scheme is believed to have operated under at least two different company names: Specialty Vehicles of Tulsa and Bonucci Auto of Arizona. The two men allegedly sold antique cars online, taking payments from victims but failing to deliver the vehicles. The SBI has identified up to $3 million in stolen funds.
If anyone believes they may have been scammed by either of these companies or individuals, please contact the North Carolina SBI’s Coastal District Office at 910-939-6200.
