THE Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) says it has reached a significant milestone in the fight against financial crime with a guilty plea in a complex money laundering investigation that began in 2019.

In August 2019, the CFSEU-BC’s Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team (JIGIT) launched an investigation into suspected loan-sharking and money laundering activity involving the unlicensed operation of a money services business, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act.

On November 5, 2021, JIGIT executed multiple search warrants at properties in Richmond and Burnaby, as well as on vehicles associated with the investigation. Two individuals were arrested at that time.

On November 1, 2023, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges against Alexandra Joie Chow, a 35-year-old woman from Richmond.

On February 24, 2025, Chow pleaded guilty to one count of laundering proceeds of crime. Final submissions in the sentencing were completed on August 21, 2025. Sentencing is scheduled for November.

“This marks the first time in over a decade that an individual has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced for a stand-alone money laundering offence,” says Assistant Commissioner Manny Mann, Chief Officer of CFSEU-BC. “This case sends a strong message that those who exploit our financial systems for criminal purposes will be identified, investigated and held accountable.”

CFSEU-BC says this investigation highlights its ongoing efforts to pursue those facilitating organized crime through financial networks and supports broader enforcement of the Cullen Commission’s recommendations.