Ohio man pleads guilty to money laundering in West Virginia

MULLENS, WV (WVNS) — An Ohio man pleaded guilty to money laundering in West Virginia.

According to a press release, 34-year-old Jack Paskin, of Nelsonville, Ohio, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, to money laundering.

The press release stated that according to court documents, Paskin organized the shipment of wholesale quantities of marijuana to the Mullens area of Wyoming County from around mid-summer 2019 to on or about August 31, 2020.

According to the press release, Paskin revealed that the marijuana shipments were sent to addresses given to Merrick Rice. Rice gathered the shipments after delivery, and the press release stated that Paskin knew Rice sold the marijuana to people who sold it in various parts of southern West Virginia.

The press release stated that money that Rice received from selling the marijuana went to Paskin’s bank accounts. Paskin took $30,000 in cash out of one of the accounts on February 24, 2021, which he knew came from illegal drug sales.

Paskin’s sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2024, and he faces up to ten years in prison, a maximum of three years of parole, and a $250,000 fine.

According to the press release, 44-year-old Merrick Rice, and 32-year-old Miranda Aliff, both of Rock Creek, pleaded guilty on May 7, 2024, to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions.

The press release stated that Aliff and Rice, who both await their sentencing, revealed that they structured bank deposits of the illicit drug proceeds, which totaled $228,000, to evade currency transaction reporting requirements.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson, who thanked the Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

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