Lawyer accused in money-laundering sting allegedly told agent his name stood for 'for love of money'
A Florida lawyer is accused of money laundering as a result of an undercover sting operation in which an undercover agent allegedly represented he needed someone to process money from the sale of counterfeit securities.
An indictment (PDF) alleges that the lawyer, Jonathan Flom, 57, agreed to participate during a September 2013 meeting at a restaurant in West Palm Beach, the New York Daily News reports. According to the indictment, Flom told the undercover agent, in substance, that his last name was an acronym for “for the love of money.”
Flom pleaded not guilty on Monday in Brooklyn federal court, the New York Daily News says. He refused comment when contacted by the newspaper.
Prosecutors allege Flom agreed to use his escrow account to transfer funds from scam victims in exchange for a cut of the proceeds. He allegedly accepted more than $141,000 in funds in the sting operation before transferring all but about $7,000 to a person who was an undercover agent.
