San Diego

An investigation into an alleged $36-million drug money-laundering scheme was expanded Wednesday with the announcement that a federal grand jury has returned a 207-count indictment against eight people, five of whom were previously indicted in March.

The new indictments charge the eight--including an 80-year-old woman and a Bank of America customer investment officer in Coronado--with conspiracy, failing to file currency transaction reports, causing financial institutions to file false currency transaction reports, and bribery of a bank officer.

The U.S. attorney’s office in San Diego has charged that between January, 1985, and last February, the suspects laundered about $36 million in drug profits through the use of two area banks and the Blue House Financial Inc., a money exchange house in San Ysidro.

The indictment charges that some of the defendants received narcotics proceeds from unnamed people at prearranged spots in San Diego and Orange counties, then exchanged much of the money for checks at the Blue House money exchange. The funds eventually were deposited in accounts at Bank of America’s Coronado branch and the California Commerce Bank in San Diego, the indictment states.

The five previously named suspects are Beatriz Mejia-Coninck, 44, of Coronado; her mother, Marguerite de Coninck, 80, also of Coronado; Guillermina Watson, 55, the Bank of America investment officer; Cecilia Mejia-Rojo, 45, of Colombia, and Christian Galindo, 23, of Colombia. Mejia-Rojo and Galindo are fugitives. Mejia-Coninck and De Coninck are in jail without bail. Watson is free on $100,000 bail.

One other person indicted in March, Pablo Galindo-Cabrer, 45, of Las Vegas, has plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

New defendants charged in Wednesday’s indictment include Jaime Mejia, Dora Mejia and Luis Fernando, all believed to be in Colombia.