Moneyflip CEO Marcos Arturo Kleiman Tronllan faces a federal murder-for-hire charge after allegedly paying undercover agents $40,000 to kidnap and kill a businessman over an unpaid debt.
Summary
- Kleiman allegedly agreed to pay $40,000 to kidnap and murder a Mexican businessman.
- Prosecutors said the final payments included $5,000 in cash and about 25,000 USDT.
- Undercover agents previously had Kleiman convert approximately $750,000 into cryptocurrency.
- The federal charge carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Moneyflip CEO arrested in Miami
Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested Kleiman in Miami on July 30 in connection with a federal complaint filed in San Diego.
Kleiman, 40, is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States. He previously lived and worked in San Diego, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Moneyflip is a registered money services business offering cross-border currency exchange services. Kleiman previously operated the company as MXN Financial LLC before it changed its name to Moneyflip LLC in 2025.
Investigators began examining Kleiman while investigating currency exchange businesses in San Diego and Imperial counties. Authorities suspected that he used cross-border transactions to avoid Bank Secrecy Act reporting requirements and launder proceeds from drug sales.
The complaint contains allegations rather than proven facts. Kleiman is presumed innocent unless convicted.
Undercover agents converted $750K into crypto
Undercover HSI agents approached Kleiman in February and asked him to convert U.S. dollars into cryptocurrency. The agents allegedly told him that the money came from drug sales.
Prosecutors said Kleiman created an email account and shared its password with the agents. The parties allegedly communicated through unsent draft emails to avoid transmitting messages directly.
Kleiman then allegedly converted approximately $750,000 into cryptocurrency and arranged for the assets to be transferred to an undercover agent’s wallet. Authorities said he charged a 10% fee.
“Kleiman converted approximately $750,000 of United States currency into cryptocurrency and caused the transmission of those crypto coins into an undercover federal agent’s wallet,” prosecutors said.
During those discussions, Kleiman allegedly asked whether the agents could recover a debt from a Mexican businessman and kill him. Prosecutors said he agreed to pay $40,000 for the kidnapping and murder, including two $5,000 advance deposits.
Agents staged murder before 25,000 USDT payment
Kleiman allegedly arranged for a third party to deliver the first $5,000 deposit to an undercover agent in San Diego in May. Prosecutors said he later paid another $5,000 deposit after an agent requested money to reserve the purported killers.
On July 28, the undercover agents showed Kleiman three photographs and a video that falsely depicted the businessman as having been captured, tortured and killed. No murder occurred as part of the operation.
Authorities said Kleiman responded that the agents could count on him to complete the payment. On July 29, he allegedly delivered another $5,000 in cash and transferred approximately 25,000 USDT to an undercover cryptocurrency wallet.
USDT is a dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Tether. Unlike cash, transfers made through public blockchain networks can leave transaction records that investigators may use alongside messages, surveillance, and other financial evidence.
Federal charge carries a 10-year maximum sentence
Kleiman faces one count of murder-for-hire under Title 18, Section 1958(a) of the U.S. Code. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Deshong and Christopher Beeler. HSI led the investigation with support from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, IRS Criminal Investigation, and local law enforcement agencies.
Money services businesses that exchange or transmit convertible virtual currencies may fall under federal Bank Secrecy Act requirements. Registration as a money services business does not represent government approval of a company or its activities.
