One of the major concerns of governments around the world has been the use of cryptocurrencies as a way to launder money from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, theft, corruption and clandestine sales on the deep web.

While the birth of Bitcoin brought unprecedented "financial freedom", it is no less true that since its inception a considerable amount has been used to make it easier for illicit money to work without being easily traced.

The appearance of anonymous cryptocurrencies such as Monero (XMR), Zcash and more recent Verge, among others; it has allowed the development of a special strategy for drug traffickers, mafiosi and hackers in general; to be able to "hide" their illicit money from the authorities.

Over the years, the authorities have forced the congressmen from different countries of the world to create a broad common front of regulations that allows applying anti-laundering laws and "Know Your Client (KYC)" to be able to monitor the funds in crypts of the different exchanges and available platforms that handle this type of assets such as the famous P2P platform Localbitcoins.

And it is precisely this platform that has been followed up in recent years by the authorities, especially the United States; for the frequent use of diversion of official funds as a result of corruption and illicit activities such as drug and arms sales.

Recently, in a covert operation of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the American IRS; The capture of a 50-year-old US citizen, Theresa Lynn Tetley, was prosecuted for the crime of money laundering and the use of the Localbitcoins platform as unlicensed exchanges and without continuing the anti-money laundering practices dictated by the FINCEN (Financial Crines Enforcement Network).

Theresa Lynn Tetley, best known in the P2P network how the butt Bitcoin Maven; was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, a bond of US $ 20,000.00; and three years of supervision after money laundering from the narcotics sales on the Deep Web.

The judgment by the district court of California, the first in your case; it also includes the seizure of US $ 292,264.00 in cash, 25 gold bars and 40 Bitcoins.

He is accused of having laundered, through the Localbitcoins platform, between US $ 6 million and US $ 9.5 million in exchange for a commission through entities registered with FINCEN to clients of various nationalities around the world.

His capture is achieved after an exchange of Bitcoins for cash with an undercover agent of the IRS Criminal Investigation Unit in conjunction with the DEA.

It is not the first arrest that is given for similar charges within the Localbitcoins platform. Last year authorities arrested Bradley Anthony Stetkiw, for operating with money from illicit businesses between 2013 and 2015 for the sum of US $ 150,000.00; of which US $ 56,000.00 were sold to an undercover officer.

At the beginning of this year, there was also talk of the arrest of Bitcoin INC CEO, Morgan Rockoons in Las Vegas, for violating the anti-money laundering regulations, by exchanging Bitcoins for US $ 10,000.00 in cash with an undercover police officer.