October 25, 2025
Brothers Charged In Multi-Million Dollar Money Laundering Scheme
PENDER COUNTY, NC – The Pender County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) have identified a large-scale Moldovan and Russian money laundering scheme. The PCSO and the SBI arrested Valentin Virlizanu of Raleigh on Sunday with the assistance of the Raleigh Police Department.
An arrest warrant has also been issued for his brother, Vasile Virlizanu. The SBI is requesting the public’s help in locating Vasile.
Both men are facing multiple felony charges, including: conspiracy, money Laundering, obtaining property by false pretenses, and use of a government computer to defraud.
Valentin Virlizanu was booked into the Pender County Detention Center and has been released on a $25,000 bond.
This scheme is believed to have operated under at least two different company names: Specialty Vehicles of Tulsa and Bonucci Auto of Arizona. The two men allegedly sold antique cars online, taking payments from victims but failing to deliver the vehicles. The SBI has identified up to $3 million in stolen funds.
The SBI has been assisted in the investigation by the Pender County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and Zebulon Police Department.
If you believe you have been scammed by either of these companies or individuals, please contact the North Carolina SBI’s Coastal District Office at 910-939-6200.
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2 Comments
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“The SBI has identified up to $3 million in stolen funds.”
Really? $25,000 bond? That is a spit in a bucket compared to what they stole. This is part of the reason some people aren’t scared of being arrested, they can just use some of the money they steal to bond out and be happily back in society to do more shady s*** and victimize more innocent people. We, as a country, need to get a lot tougher on crime.
I’ve always heard Crime Doesn’t Pay, but right now it seems that it does pay. We need to put a stop to that immediately.
25,000 are you freaking serious