Marcos Arturo Kleiman Tronllan, CEO of Moneyflip, is facing serious federal charges after allegedly trying to hire hitmen for $40,000 to kidnap and kill a Mexican businessman who owed him money. The disturbing claim says Kleiman handed over $5,000 in cash and 25,000 USDT as part of the payment to undercover agents posing as hired criminals.
Kleiman was arrested in Miami on July 30 by Homeland Security Investigations agents acting on a federal complaint filed in San Diego. The 40-year-old Mexican citizen and U.S. permanent resident had run Moneyflip, a registered money services business that handles cross-border currency exchanges, previously known as MXN Financial LLC before rebranding last year.
The investigation into Kleiman started while authorities were examining currency exchange operations in Southern California, suspecting some of these businesses, including Moneyflip, were circumventing Bank Secrecy Act rules to launder proceeds from drug trafficking. The complaint is still an allegation and Kleiman has not been convicted.
Undercover agents approached Kleiman in February, asking him to turn $750,000 in U.S. dollars into cryptocurrency. Prosecutors say Kleiman complied, converting the cash into crypto and transferring the digital assets to an undercover federal agent’s wallet, charging a 10% fee for the service. Communications were reportedly conducted via unsent email drafts to avoid detection.
Amid these dealings, Kleiman allegedly inquired about helping the agents recover a debt, which evolved into the murder-for-hire plot. The federal charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This article provides information and is not investment advice.
