Federal Grand Jury Indicts El Paso Attorney Marco Delgado In Connection With A Multi-million Dollar Fraud/Money Laundering Scheme

In El Paso today, a federal grand jury returned a 17-count indictment charging 46-year-old El Paso attorney Marco Antonio Delgado a.k.a. Marco Delgado Licon in connection with a multi-million dollar wire fraud and money laundering scheme announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Dennis Ulrich.

The indictment charges Delgado with two wire fraud counts and 15 money laundering counts. According to the indictment, in January 2010, Delgado, as a legal representative of FGG Enterprises, Inc. (FGG) signed a $121 million contract between FGG and the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), a Mexican-state-owned utility company, for the acquisition and installation of equipment at the Agua Prieta II power plant located in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. Pursuant to the agreement, payments from CFE to FGG were to be deposited into a FGG bank account located in El Paso. The indictment alleges that Delgado, for the purpose of personal enrichment and without the consent of the sole owner of FGG, submitted a fraudulent written request to the Banco Nacional de Comercio Exterior in Mexico which caused two wire transfers—one on March 8, 2010, in the amount of $20 million and one on July 6, 2010, in the amount of $12 million—to be deposited into a bank account he controlled located in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The indictment further alleges the Delgado subsequently wire transferred approximately $1.15 million
from the Turks and Caicos Island bank account to bank accounts in El Paso, Taos, NM; and Pittsburg, PA, in order to conceal or disguise the nature, location source ownership or the control of the proceeds from his scheme.

The indictment also contains a notice of criminal forfeiture in which the Government is seeking the forfeiture of proceeds traceable to the indicted offenses, namely, $32 million in U.S. Currency, the defendant’s residence and furnishings in El Paso and condominium in Taos, NM; plus two vehicles.

“HSI investigates crimes and traces illegal activity around the globe, and as this case shows, it doesn’t matter in which countries individuals commit crimes,” said Dennis A. Ulrich, special agent in charge for HSI El Paso. “When individuals steal money from foreign governments, and attempt to use the United States infrastructure to launder those funds, HSI is committed to stop that activity.”

Upon conviction, Delgado faces up 20 years in federal prison per count. Delgado has remained in federal
custody since his arrest in November 2012 based on an unrelated federal money laundering conspiracy charge contained in a separate indictment (EP12CR2106). That indictment alleges that Delgado is responsible for attempting to launder approximately $1 million in alleged drug distribution proceeds.
This indictment resulted from an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant
United States Attorney Juanita Fielden is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.

An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is
presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.