A resident of a densely populated, upscale urban neighborhood in the East Elmhurst section of New York City was charged with money laundering after authorities found him in possession of more than $50,000 in cash last week.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Peng Cheng, of 2425 Ericsson Street, Queens, NY, was arrested on a charge of money laundering as the result of an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love.
Musella said Cheng is 33 years old, married, and unemployed.
Musella claims that an investigation by the prosecutor’s Narcotic Task Force revealed on September 22, 2022, that Cheng was transporting “bulk U.S. currency” while traveling through Bergen County.
During the investigation, a search of a vehicle in Ridgefield yielded $51,154 in cash.
The driver, Cheng, was placed under arrest without incident and transported to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office in Paramus, NJ for processing.
Cheng was charged with third-degree money laundering, N.J.S.A. 2C:21-25a, and was released on his own recognizance pending his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.
The charge requires authorities to show that the defendant possesses money that a reasonable person would believe to be derived from criminal activity.
Musella said that the charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and he would like to thank the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.
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