The sentence, announced on October 16, 2026, marks the latest development in a multi-state federal case involving six defendants accused of helping move and conceal drug-related cash through a network of couriers, bank deposits, and international connections.
Federal prosecutors said Saviolli provided upfront funding for the operation and supervised the collection and laundering of bulk cash.
All six defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, and the court accepted their pleas in June 2026.
How the $30 Million Money Laundering Scheme Worked
According to court documents cited by the Justice Department, the organization arranged for couriers in the United States to collect large amounts of cash generated by the sale of controlled substances.
The cash was then deposited into banks across the country to disguise its criminal origins and facilitate the return of profits to, among others, drug suppliers operating outside the United States.
Investigators described a coordinated operation that relied on facilitators and couriers working across state lines.
Dozens of cash pickups were reportedly arranged through WhatsApp message chains, allowing participants to coordinate collections in different cities.
The organization operated across the United States and had connections spanning multiple countries.
Authorities said it concealed more than $30 million in cash over the course of the conspiracy.
The case illustrates how financial facilitators and cash couriers can help criminal organizations move proceeds beyond the locations where the underlying illegal activity occurred.
Saviolli’s Role in the Money Laundering Conspiracy
Prosecutors identified Saviolli as a manager and supervisor within the organization.
According to the DOJ, he supplied money upfront to facilitate its operations and oversaw the receipt and laundering of bulk cash proceeds linked to drug trafficking.
Gabriel Cezar Menezes, another defendant, served as a facilitator.
Authorities said he directed and supervised couriers and personally collected bulk cash on multiple occasions.
Four other defendants – Omar Aliperti De Mello Correa, Leandro De Avila Goncalves, Joao Andrade De Mello, and Tadeu Sebastiane Rabelo Alves Barbosa – acted as couriers, collecting cash in multiple cities.
The DOJ identified Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Rochester, and Tampa among the locations where pickups took place.
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Five Co-Defendants Also Received Prison Sentences
Saviolli was the sixth defendant sentenced in the case. The five co-defendants received their sentences on September 24, 2026.
Their prison terms were:
| Defendant | Prison sentence |
|---|---|
| Ygor Fokin Saviolli | 12 years |
| Gabriel Cezar Menezes | 94 months |
| Omar Aliperti De Mello Correa | 30 months |
| Leandro De Avila Goncalves | 24 months |
| Joao Andrade De Mello | 12 months and 1 day |
| Tadeu Sebastiane Rabelo Alves Barbosa | 12 months and 1 day |
The defendants’ sentences varied according to the outcomes of their individual cases.
The DOJ announcement identifies Correa as a U.S. citizen and the other five defendants as Brazilian nationals.
It also states that the Brazilian defendants were illegally residing in the United States at the time of their arrests.
FBI and Federal Agencies Investigated the Case
The FBI investigated the money laundering conspiracy with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rochester Resident Office and Homeland Security Investigations offices in Brasilia, Brazil, and Miami.
The prosecution was handled by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, including its Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, along with an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
The section focuses on prosecuting financial facilitators and international money launderers whose activities support drug trafficking and other transnational criminal organizations.
Its work also includes pursuing asset recovery to take criminal profits out of circulation.
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What the Case Means for Federal Money Laundering Enforcement
The case highlights the role of financial networks in drug trafficking operations.
Investigators do not only pursue the people involved in selling controlled substances; they also target the systems used to collect, transfer, disguise, and return the resulting profits.
Cash couriers, financial facilitators, and cross-border connections can all form part of a laundering network.
By tracing these activities across jurisdictions, federal agencies can build cases against individuals who help criminal organizations move their money.
Saviolli’s 12-year prison sentence concludes the sentencing phase reported by the DOJ for all six defendants in this conspiracy.
The case also underscores federal authorities’ continuing focus on disrupting the financial infrastructure that enables drug trafficking organizations to operate.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, October 16, 2026.
