BC Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Jail Following ‘Milestone’ Money Laundering Investigation

Cash seized by police during a bust is displayed at RCMP headquarters In Surrey, B.C., on Dec. 7, 2022. The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

A B.C. woman has been sentenced to 18 months in jail following a years-long investigation into a group accused of loan sharking and money laundering.

The case represents a “major milestone in its ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and financial criminality,” the RCMP’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) said in a Nov. 24 news release. The specialized unit targets organized crime and gang activity.

“This is the first time in a decade that a money laundering investigation in British Columbia has resulted in a sentencing,” CFSEU-BC spokesperson Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha said in a Nov. 24 statement.

Sangha said the sentence issued by the courts is a testament to the efforts of the unit’s investigative team in addressing illegal gaming associated with organized crime activities, including money laundering, loan-sharking, and sophisticated bookmaking,

Alexandra Joie Chow was sentenced to 18 months in a provincial correctional centre on Nov. 24, and the court also ordered that the cash and bank drafts seized by police during the investigation be forfeited.

Chow, 37, was arrested in November 2021 after the team executed multiple search warrants in Richmond and Burnaby, B.C., including residences and vehicles associated with the suspects who were accused of laundering more than $828,000, the CFSEU-BC said.

Police seized several items, including three high-end vehicles, two bank drafts totalling $50,000, and more than $10,000 in cash. A Vancouver man was also arrested at the time, but was ultimately not charged.

The B.C. Prosecution Service approved charges against Chow in November 2023, including one count of money laundering, two counts of possessing proceeds of crime, and three counts of entering into an agreement to receive interest at a criminal rate.

Chow pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering on Feb. 24, 2025. CFSEU-BC Chief Officer Manny Mann said at the time that it was the first time in more than a decade that an individual pleaded guilty and would be sentenced for a stand-alone money laundering offence.

“This case sends a strong message that those who exploit our financial systems for criminal purposes will be identified, investigated and held accountable,” Mann said in an Aug. 25 statement.

Sangha said the strength of the evidence collected helped secure Chow’s guilty plea, and her sentencing sends a “very clear message” that those involved in money laundering could face jail time.

Police were satisfied with Chow’s sentence of 18 months in jail, and would have been disappointed if the defence had succeeded in securing house arrest for her, Sangha said. She also noted that illegal gaming investigators in the province have more cases in the works.

The CFSEU-BC’s illegal gaming investigative team began looking into the suspected money laundering and loan sharking activities in 2019.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.