DIICOT expands charges against Andrew Tate: human trafficking and money laundering
DIICOT prosecutors ordered the expansion of investigations against Andrew Tate on Wednesday, adding charges of human trafficking and money laundering. Tate allegedly recruited a young woman in 2017 and laundered over 13 million lei through two companies.
New charges at DIICOT: Andrew Tate charged with human trafficking and money laundering
DIICOT prosecutors – Central Structure ordered the expansion of criminal prosecution against influencer Andrew Tate on Wednesday under charges of human trafficking and money laundering, agerpres.ro reports. Tate was summoned to the institution's headquarters to be informed of the new charges.
These are added to an already substantial case file: forming an organised criminal group, human trafficking, rape, illegal access to computer systems, assault or other violence, and incitement to hatred or discrimination.
Recruitment of a young woman from Romania in 2017
According to prosecutors, Andrew Tate — a British citizen, 39 years old — allegedly recruited a young woman in the first part of 2017, exploiting her evident state of vulnerability. According to judicial sources, the victim is from Romania.
"By taking advantage of the lack of family support, the pre-existing psychological trauma caused by the absence of a paternal figure, as well as the lack of material resources, by deceiving her with regard to the intention to establish a love relationship, he recruited her for the purpose of sexual exploitation", DIICOT states in a press release.
Subsequently, through acts of moral coercion — emotional blackmail — Tate allegedly compelled her to engage in webcam chat activities on a specialised platform, with a view to producing and distributing materials with explicit sexual content. During the period of exploitation, the victim was allegedly accommodated at a location in Ilfov County, and the defendant provided her with the necessary logistical support.
Two companies and over 13 million lei to conceal money
The second component of the new charges concerns money laundering. Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, allegedly established two commercial companies in which they were registered as partners and administrators, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of sums obtained from human trafficking.
"In the period between May 2018 and October 2022, the two defendants introduced significant sums of money into the companies' assets, in the form of apparent loans, made exclusively through bank transfers, in amounts exceeding 13,000,000 lei and 370,000 euro", prosecutors state in their release.
Using these funds, the Tate brothers allegedly purchased, through the companies' bank accounts or through personal accounts, land, buildings, motor vehicles, services, and a multi-storey residential block with a P+4 configuration — with a total value exceeding 13 million lei and approximately 360,000 euro. The assets formally entered the companies' patrimony, but were allegedly used exclusively for personal purposes: modernisation of their residential property and acquisition of motor vehicles and other personal-use goods, with no connection to the declared business activity of the companies.
Case sent to court, then returned to DIICOT
Andrew and Tristan Tate, with dual British and American citizenship, were sent for trial by DIICOT on 20 June 2023, on charges of forming an organised criminal group, human trafficking, rape and illegal access to computer systems. In December 2024, the courts annulled the prosecutors' indictment, and the case returned to DIICOT for the criminal prosecution to be redone. Prosecutors are currently remaking the case files.
Andrew Tate is an influencer with millions of followers on the X network, where he promotes men's rights. A former professional kickboxer and declared Donald Trump supporter, he was born in the USA and has been living in Romania for several years. He became widely known to the public during the "Big Brother UK" television programme in 2016.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)