A federal grand jury indicted two Guyanese nationals for a multi‑year scheme tied to fraudulent gold exports that allegedly evaded taxes and laundered proceeds, costing an estimated $50 million to the Government of Guyana. Charges include conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire/mail fraud, and DOJ seeks forfeiture of seized gold bars after an investigation led by HSI and IRS‑CI.

A federal indictment unsealed on November 28, 2025 alleges that two Guyanese nationals, including a former Guyanese presidential candidate and a businessman, ran a multi‑year tax‑evasion and money‑laundering scheme built around fraudulent gold exportation. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the scheme enabled the defendants to conceal income and launder proceeds, resulting in an estimated $50 million loss to Guyana’s government. The indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit money laundering and with wire and mail fraud counts, and it seeks forfeiture of seized physical gold bars obtained during the investigation. The case was developed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS‑CI), and other law‑enforcement partners. Prosecutors said the alleged operation involved complex financial transactions and cross‑border movements of assets to disguise the origin and ownership of proceeds. The filing signals continued U.S. enforcement focus on transnational commodity fraud, illicit finance, and use of forfeiture remedies in high‑value schemes.