PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Harrisburg woman pleaded guilty Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, to federal money laundering charges stemming from a business email compromise scheme that diverted nearly $390,000 from a municipality through bank accounts established for a fictitious drainage company.
Charlette Baquero, 32, entered her plea before U.S. District Judge Joshua D. Wolson to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, laundering of monetary instruments and engaging in a monetary transaction involving property derived from unlawful activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Federal prosecutors reported that Baquero participated in a conspiracy between July 2020 and early 2021 to receive fraudulently obtained municipal funds and transfer the proceeds to other participants, concealing their origin.
According to court filings and statements, Baquero worked with an individual she knew as “Omar,” who instructed her to establish bank accounts for a drainage company incorporated in her name.
Although the company appeared to operate as a legitimate business, prosecutors described it as a shell entity that performed no work and generated no lawful revenue.
Baquero opened accounts intended to receive fraud proceeds and facilitate transfers to other participants in the conspiracy. She also monitored deposits and withdrawals, including the amounts and frequency of transactions.
One account received three wire transfers from the victim municipality between December 2020 and January 2021.
The first transfer, totaling $193,016, occurred Dec. 3, 2020. A second payment of $100,705.70 followed Dec. 16, and a third transfer of $96,174 was made Jan. 13, 2021.
Together, the transactions totaled $389,895.70.
Within days of receiving the payments, Baquero participated in or arranged multiple transfers to other individuals involved in the laundering operation, according to prosecutors.
The transactions were part of a business email compromise scheme, a form of financial fraud involving the manipulation of business communications to redirect payments.
Baquero was promised a share of the proceeds for her participation but ultimately received a used vehicle, according to the court records.
A federal grand jury indicted Baquero in January 2026.
She is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 19, 2027, and faces a maximum possible sentence of 50 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1,543,427.54.
The maximum statutory penalty does not necessarily reflect the sentence she will receive, which will be determined by the court.
The FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Chandler Harris and Nancy E. Potts.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.