Feds: Small Baton Rouge store laundered millions in drug cash

Two Baton Rouge companies pleaded guilty to money laundering charges Friday in a case that involves a small convenience store, millions of dollars in drug dealers’ cash and drug dealing by store employees.

The details that led to the convictions are contained in a May 2012 affidavit by Special Agent Andre Guilott of the Internal Revenue Service, who alleged Thang Minh “Tommy” Tran, 43, used the convenience store he founded to launder drug money.

Guillot also reported that an undercover agent purchased 1,000 tablets of Ecstasy from two store employees in 2010 as part of a joint Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS investigation. He said confidential informants also alleged Tran operated an illegal bookmaking business from the store — Quality Express, 1526 N. Foster Drive.

Guillot noted the little store deposited $178.5 million into a Hancock Bank account between July 2006 and December 2011.

More at http://theadvocate.com/home/5450008-125/feds-small-br-store-laundered .