Canadian man pleads guilty to money laundering charges
BUFFALO, N.Y. / Monday, December 22, 2025 -U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Houssam El-Atat, 44, of Montreal, Canada, was extradited from Spain, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2021, an individual in Buffalo, NY, (Victim 1) and a marine sales company (Vendor 1) engaged in email communication regarding the purchase of a boat. These communications included specifications, pricing, and payment. In March 2021, Victim 1 received an email from the person he believed to be Vendor 1 with wiring instructions for payment. Victim 1 arranged for the full amount ($295,373.75) to be wired to Vendor 1’s company through a Bank of America account. Victim 1 subsequently learned that Vendor 1 had not received the $295,373.75 and that the wiring instructions provided to him for payment were fraudulent. After reviewing the email correspondence between himself and Vendor 1, Victim 1 realized his email account had been compromised.
Subsequent investigation by the FBI determined that the Bank of America account where $295,373.75 was deposited was owned by an individual named A.Z., who was unaware that the funds he received from Victim 1 were the result of fraudulent activity. A.Z. stated to the FBI that he received the funds from an individual who claimed that he owed A.Z.’s recently deceased father $100,000 and was resolving the debt. Then, at the request of the individual, A.Z. sent $180,200.00 of the funds to an account at La Caisse Centrale Desjardins Bank in Canada. Bank records indicate that the funds were then rapidly disbursed to a number of apparent shell companies before being distributed to El-Atat.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the supervision of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera. Additional assistance was provided by the Sûreté du Québec Provincial Police.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2026, before Judge Vilardo.
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Contact
Barbara Burns
716-843-5817
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York
