SIMI VALLEY : Woman in Drug-Money Case Violates Probation

A woman convicted in the largest drug-money laundering case in Ventura County history appeared in court Wednesday, one day after a warrant was issued for her arrest for failing to comply with terms of her probation.

Luz Urrego told Superior Court Judge Charles W. Campbell Jr. that a mix-up in her address kept her from being notified that she was scheduled for an appointment with the county Probation Department. Campbell had issued a $10,000 warrant for Urrego’s arrest when he learned she had not kept her appointment. He recalled the warrant after Urrego appeared in court and ordered her to contact the Probation Department, court officials said.

Urrego pleaded guilty last year to playing a minor role in the money-laundering operation, in which $25 million in drug profits was smuggled to Colombia from a Simi Valley business during a two-month period.

Urrego’s plea called for her to testify against her brother-in-law, Otoniel Urrego, who is serving an eight-year prison sentence for pleading guilty to conspiracy to sell cocaine. Otoniel Urrego was considered by prosecutors to be a key player in the money-laundering operation, monitoring the shipment of cash from his Florida home.

In an arrangement with prosecutors, Luz Urrego was released from jail shortly after her brother-in-law was convicted. Her sentence includes five years probation.