Naples Woman Sentenced To A Year And A Day For Evading Financial Reporting Requirements

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele has sentenced Lorie Ann Williams to one year and a day in federal prison for structuring financial transactions. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $332,500, the proceeds traceable to the offense. Williams will be jointly and severally liable for the amount of the money judgment, along with her husband and co-defendant, Sydney Jackson Williams, Jr., who has not yet been sentenced.

Lorie Ann Williams pleaded guilty on October 27, 2015.

According to court documents, subsequent to two civil lawsuits being brought against him, Sydney Jackson Williams, Jr., transferred more than $3 million in joint marital assets into an account in Lorie Ann Williams’s name. Soon thereafter, she began withdrawing funds her account in structured cash withdrawals. Between March 3, 2010, and April 22, 2010, Lori Ann Williams made 35 separate cash withdrawals, totaling $332,500, from her solely-owned checking account. She wrote checks from the account, made payable to cash, each in the amount of $9,500. 

Ultimately, on September 30, 2010, Sydney Jackson Williams, Jr. filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition with the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of Florida. 

Pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, financial institutions are required to file a "Currency Transaction Report" with the United States Treasury Department for each financial transaction that involves United States currency in excess of $10,000. These transactions include deposits, withdrawals, check cashing, or other transactions involving the physical transfer of currency from one person to another.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yolande G. Viacava and Charles D. Schmitz.