Kalispell business owner pleads guilty to charge stemming from alleged money mule operation

A Kalispell woman accused of wiring dirty money overseas during a roughly five year span pleaded guilty in federal court Sept. 7 to a charge of unlicensed money transmitting business.

Theresa Anne Chabot, 57, was initially indicted on 30 charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, 17 counts of money laundering promotion and 11 counts of money laundering spending. In a press release announcing Chabot’s plea change, officials said the remaining 29 charges were dismissed.

Chabot, who struck a plea deal with prosecutors, faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for running an unlicensed money transmitting business. Under the terms of the deal, Chabot also must pay $5.2 million in restitution and forfeit a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe.

Her sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 5. She has been released in the meantime, officials said.

Starting in 2016 or 2017, Chabot allegedly began collecting money from wire fraud schemes across the country through her business, Avalanche Creek LLC, according to court documents. Those gambits included advance pay, investment and romance schemes as well as internet-enabled, lottery and Covid-19 funding frauds, authorities alleged.

Using Avalanche Creek LLC, Chabot transferred the illicitly-earned money overseas in exchange for a commission, becoming what is known as a “money mule.” Her commission at times reached 10 percent of the amount shipped outside of the U.S. During that period, she opened more than 50 bank accounts and continued doing so even as banks shut them down for fraudulent activity, officials said.

The FBI investigated the case in cooperation with IRS Criminal Investigations.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.