Sat Feb 19, 2011, 12:13 AM EST

http://www.eagletribune.com/latestnews/x740790811/Lawrence-man-sentenced-in-money-laundering-case#

A Lawrence businessman will serve up to four years in federal prison after admitting his involvement in a drug-money laundering scheme.

Freddy Arias-Cartagena, 51, of 58 Crosby St., Lawrence, admitted to using his Essex Street-based company — Arias Shipping & Towing — to wire what he believed was $315,000 in drug money to the Dominican Republic over a 14-month period that began in May 2007.

Arias-Cartagena and his coconspirators were the subject of lengthy probe by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Criminal Investigation-Boston Field Division of the Internal Revenue Service. Investigators used a witness to approach Arias-Cartagena and say he needed to get ship the money to pay his Dominican cocaine source.

A DEA undercover agent received the shipments of cash to the Dominican several days after Arias-Cartagena had received the money. He received a fee for each of the six deliveries, according to court records.

Arias-Cartagena had pleaded guilty last December to seven counts of laundering drug money. His attorney requested at his hearing in federal court this week that he be sentence to time already served, or one day in prison.

By U.S. District Court Joseph L. Tauro denied the request, and sentenced him to 48 months in federal prison. After noting that he considered the crimes to be serious, the judge also ordered U.S. Marshals to take Arias-Cartagena into custody immediately instead of allowing him to surrender on his own.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary R. Hafer and George W. Vien of the U.S. Attorney's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force prosecuted the case.

Court records revealed few details of the investigation. A Boston attorney filed a motion on behalf of Arias-Cartagena to seal letters submitted in support of his sentencing, claiming there was personal information that he did not want to make public.

Lorenzo Duran, 40, of 18 Ellis St., Lawrence and Miguel Antonio De La Rosa-Sosa, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, were codefendants in the case.