Businessman accused of money laundering that aided smugglers

Carol Sowers

The Arizona Republic
Jan. 23, 2008 12:00 AM

A Scottsdale man who ran four Western Union stores in Phoenix and Mesa was indicted Tuesday on 80 counts of money laundering and other crimes that are suspected of financing human smugglers and drug dealers.

Attorney General Terry Goddard announced the indictment of Bruce Dennis Love, 50, who owns homes in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.

Two other men suspected in the four-year-old, $56.8 million money-laundering scheme were also indicted. Their names have been withheld because they have not been served with the indictment, said Andrea Esquer, Goddard's spokeswoman.

This is how the scheme worked, investigators said.

Coyotes would bring illegal immigrants from Mexico into Phoenix. At coyotes' directions, the immigrants' family members would wire money to Love's Western Union stores to pay the smugglers to take the immigrants to particular destinations.

Smugglers or their human cargo would go to Love's stores to pick up the cash. Love received a Western Union fee on each transaction.