https://www.local10.com/news/local/2026/07/22/miami-fbi-agents-accuse-man-in-north-korean-money-laundering-scheme/

MIAMI — Federal authorities in Miami say a Venezuelan-Italian civil engineer helped launder hundreds of thousands of dollars generated by North Korean information technology workers evading U.S. sanctions. Their earnings, authorities allege, ultimately benefitted the totalitarian regime.

Victor Jose Tomassoni, 38, is scheduled to appear in Miami federal court for a bond hearing on Wednesday afternoon. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering.

FBI special agents accuse him of operating as a middleman as part of the global scheme.

Feds: Scheme involved fake identities, shell companies

According to a federal criminal complaint, North Korea, as it seeks to evade sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, “has sponsored various subterfuge schemes to earn money for the regime” ― one of which is dispatching thousands of IT workers “around the world to generate revenue that contributed to North Korea’s weapons programs.”

“These North Korean IT workers posed as non-North Korean foreign and U.S.-based remote workers and surreptitiously obtained contracts for remote IT work from companies around the world, including in the United States,” the complaint states.

FBI investigators said the workers “have their wages paid to shell companies set up by Sri Lankan nationals” and financial records showed that Tomassoni’s companies ― Delfinx Capital LLC and Mightylift Logistics LLC ― received more than $550,000 from the network, with much of the money transferred onward. Prosecutors allege that Tomassoni got a 3% cut on the transactions.

“Given that Delfinx and Mightylift are companies in the construction industry and that (Tomassoni) is a civil engineer, it would be inconsistent with (his) line of work to receive salary payments for IT workers,” the complaint states. “This inconsistency shows probable cause that (Tomassoni) and his companies are involved in layering illicitly earned funds from IT workers.”

Authorities said they initially questioned Tomassoni on July 2 after he arrived at Miami International Airport on a flight from Panama.

Agents said he had traveled to the U.S. to pick up a $30,000 check from a bank that had closed his account due to a transfer he received from one of the co-conspirators. They said Tomassoni claimed he “conducted cryptocurrency trades” on behalf of that co-conspirator, as well as the co-conspirator’s friends.

‘Are they North Korean hackers or what’

Authorities said a search of Tomassoni’s phone last Wednesday revealed several incriminating WhatsApp messages sent between June 20, 2025 and July 1.

They said they showed that he discussed creating contracts and invoices describing transactions as engineering or software work after his bank “ask(ed) about some transactions.”

On Oct. 28, the complaint states that the co-conspirator told Tomassoni his clients were in China, using U.S. identities to join U.S. companies.

Authorities said after the co-conspirator told Tomassoni that there were issues with the names passing “know your customer” requirements, Tomassoni replied, “but why lol ... are they north korean hackers or what.”

According to the complaint, Tomassoni, after learning about the “Chinese” workers using U.S. identities, said “he did not want to be involved in something like that” and that he “would just be limited to providing the service of selling” Tether cryptocurrency to the companies.

Nevertheless, authorities said Tomassoni continued to work on their behalf.

Authorities said the WhatsApp chats also referenced ties to Miami-Dade: A message, they said, referenced a Wyoming-registered LLC with an address at the Toscano at Dadeland condominium complex at 7350 SW 89th St., which they said was “associated with” Tomassoni.

Potentially stiff penalties

Records show Tomassoni was arrested and made an initial appearance in Miami federal court on Monday.

Federal Bureau of Prisons records show he remained behind bars in the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami as of Wednesday morning, ahead of his 2 p.m. scheduled bond hearing.

In an email to Local 10 News on Wednesday, Tomassoni’s Miami-based attorney, Frank Gaviria, said his “office is still reviewing the government’s complaint and conducting our own investigation.”

“These are allegations only, and Mr. Tomassoni will respond at the appropriate time,” he said.

Filings show he’s set to be arraigned on Aug. 3. The two money laundering charges each carry potential two-decade federal prison terms if convicted.