Two Keene residents charged in superseding indictment with additional charges related to virtual currency exchange business

Date: April 27, 2022

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

A federal grand jury returned a 33-count superseding indictment on Monday charging Ian Freeman and Aria DiMezzo, both of Keene, with a variety of financial and fraud crimes, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.

According to the superseding indictment, Freeman, DiMezzo, and others operated a business that enabled customers to exchange fiat currency for virtual currency. The superseding indictment alleges that the unlicensed business violated federal anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Among other things, the superseding indictment alleges that the defendants opened bank accounts at financial institutions while deceiving financial institutions about the nature of the business being transacted through the accounts. The superseding indictment alleges that some of the transactions conducted by Freeman facilitated the transfer of the proceeds of scams, such as "romance scams."

Freeman and DiMezzo are charged with participating in a conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Freeman also is charged with:

1. operating an unlicensed money transmitting business;
2. conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud;
3. twelve counts of wire fraud;
4. four counts of money laundering;
5. conspiracy to commit money laundering:
6. four counts of attempting to evade taxes; and
7. operating a financial crimes enterprise.

DiMezzo also is charged with

1. operating an unlicensed money transmitting business;
2. four counts of wire fraud; and
3. three counts of money laundering.

Freeman and DiMezzo, along with four others, were previously arrested on March 16, 2021.

Three co-defendants, Nobody F/K/A Richard Paul, of Keene, and Andrew and Renee Spinella of Derry, have pleaded guilty. The government has moved to dismiss the charges against the fourth co-defendant without prejudice.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service in coordination with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald, Seth R. Aframe, and John Kennedy.

The charges in the superseding indictment are only allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.