How the Scheme Worked: Iris Scans for $80,000 Pesos
An investigation led by prosecutor Betina Lacki (District Attorney's Office N° 2 of La Plata) has uncovered a money laundering network that operated from within Buenos Aires Province's judicial system. The key figure was Albertina Mangini, a lawyer who worked at the Patronato de Liberados (Parole Board) of the Attorney General's Office of Buenos Aires Province.
According to case sources, Mangini recruited economically vulnerable people, offering them 80,000 pesos (roughly USD 80 at the time) in exchange for their ID documents, photographs and an 'eye scan.' Victims were summoned to a café in downtown La Plata (at 7th and 56th streets), where their biometric data was captured using an iris reader screen.
'Once the recruited individuals left, their identities started operating,' investigators explained.
The Money Trail: Mule Accounts and Illegal Casinos
With that biometric data, the organization opened bank accounts and virtual wallets in the victims' names. Phones, email addresses, devices and passwords all fell under the network's control. This second stage was managed by Mauro Perrotta, arrested in Mar del Plata, who owned three gyms in the Constitución, Nueva Pompeya and Peralta Ramos Oeste neighborhoods.
Money entered the accounts through small, staggered transfers — a technique known as "smurfing" or "pitufeo" — to avoid detection. The transactions followed a distinct pattern: amounts always ended in .12 and left a balance of exactly 1,000 pesos, never zero. Funds were then funneled into an illegal online casino, where money arrived as 'individual transfers' and came out disguised as 'gambling winnings,' losing all traceability.
The Landmark Case: 172 Million Pesos in Someone Else's Account
One pivotal case involved a cleaning worker who agreed to 'scan her eye' for cash. Months later, she discovered more than 172 million pesos in transactions from an account opened with her stolen identity. Investigators say roughly 30 people were recruited to open similar accounts.
In total, the organization allegedly moved around 27 billion pesos (approximately USD 27 million) in a single year. Financial analysis linked Ignacio Marchioni, arrested in Quilmes, to a finance company operating in that city which handled a significant share of the transactions. Marchioni, who worked in brokerage and investments, was the only one of the three detainees to give a statement to prosecutors — though his version will need to be checked against financial records.
The Connection to the Sur Finanzas Case
For investigators, Marchioni's name is not new: he appears linked to the Sur Finanzas case, a financial firm connected to Argentina's Football Association (AFA) under investigation for money laundering, criminal association and fraud. According to prosecutors, that firm operated between September 2020 and December 2025, moving more than USD 108 million through 16 football clubs.
Raids and Seizures
With authorization from Guarantee Court N° 6 of La Plata, the Federal Police's Fiscal Crimes Department executed nine simultaneous raids in Buenos Aires and Córdoba, with support from the Special Investigations Unit in Mar del Plata. Seized items included:
- Large sums of cash in local and foreign currency
- Computers and storage devices
- POS terminals and numerous bank cards
- A BMW M240i xDrive
- A Glock 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol
- Notebooks with handwritten records of casino accounting
Mangini and Perrotta refused to testify, invoking their constitutional right to remain silent. Marchioni's defense submitted a written statement distancing him from the scheme. The seized devices will undergo forensic, accounting and financial analysis to reconstruct the full economic circuit.
Local Impact in Mar del Plata
The case has raised concerns among business leaders, commercial associations and real estate developers in Mar del Plata. Although no charges have been filed against those sectors, the investigation reveals how illicit funds can enter the formal economy. The question echoing through local circles: where does that money end up, and what activities does it fund?
For international readers: Argentina's peso is the national currency (roughly 1,000 pesos per US dollar in 2025). The Patronato de Liberados is a provincial agency that supervises released prisoners. La Plata is the capital of Buenos Aires Province, about 60 km south of Buenos Aires City. Mar del Plata is a major coastal city 400 km south of the capital, known for tourism and fishing.