The Criminal Chamber of La Plata (in Argentina) has rejected the habeas corpus filed by Albertina Mangini, a mid-level judicial official implicated in a massive money-laundering operation that exploited virtual wallets and biometric data. As reported by the local newspaper El Día on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, the decision means Mangini will remain in pretrial detention while the case progresses.
Mangini, who serves as a clerk of the first instance in the provincial prosecutor's office (Ministerio Público Fiscal) of Buenos Aires, was arrested last Thursday in a coordinated operation by the Federal Police of Argentina (PFA) alongside two other suspects: Ignacio Marchioni and Mauro Perrotta. Prosecutors allege that these three individuals were instrumental in a network that funneled an eye-watering 27,000 million pesos (about USD 27 million at current exchange rates) in just one year.
The Trigger: A Vacuum Cleaner’s Tip
The investigation kicked off after a cleaning employee from the Buenos Aires Patronato de Liberados (the provincial agency that supervises ex-prisoners) reported being offered 80,000 pesos to have her iris scanned, but receiving only half that amount. This single clue unraveled a scheme where the biometric data of vulnerable individuals – often former inmates or homeless people – were used to open bank accounts and virtual wallets that served as "financial mules."
The Role of Mangini
According to court files, Mangini’s role was to recruit potential victims among the population that frequented her office. She worked in coordination with the Patronato de Liberados and would approach former prisoners with offers of 80,000 pesos for an eye scan, which were carried out in a cafés near Plaza San Martín in La Plata. The captured biometric data was then used to open accounts that were flooded with money from illegal online casinos, to hide the true origin of the cash.
The “Fingerprint” of the Scam: Amounts Ending in .12
Investigators noticed a unique signature: all illicit transactions ended with ".12" and never emptied the accounts – they always left a small remainder of about 1,000 pesos. This pattern, according to detectives, was the group's way to avoid detection by the country's anti-money laundering systems.
What is “Smurfing” (or “Pitufeo”)?
For our international readers, this is a textbook example of "smurfing" – a technique also known as "structuring". It involves breaking down large illegal amounts into many smaller deposits that individually fall below the regulatory threshold that would trigger a bank or financial institution’s anti-money laundering report. By spreading the cash across dozens of virtual wallets and bank accounts, the laundering ring could circumvent controls.
Links to Sur Finanzas Scandal
One of the detained, Ignacio Marchioni, has direct ties to the Sur Finanzas case, a financial company linked to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) that allegedly handled over USD 108 million between 2020 and 2025 involving 16 football clubs. During the raids, agents seized from Marchioni a BMW M240i xDrive, a Glock 9mm pistol, and a sum in dollars, as documented in the case file.
Raids and Evidence
Between June and August, police executed 9 searches in La Plata, Quilmes, Mar del Plata, and La Falda (Córdoba). In total, they confiscated:
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Smartphones | 17 |
| Laptops | 4 |
| Desktop CPUs | 6 |
| Flash drives | 3 |
| POS terminals (card readers) | 6 |
| DVRs (security video recorders) | 2 |
| Hard drives | 2 |
| Cash in Argentine pesos | $2,787,440 |
| Cash in US dollars | $3,300 |
| Uruguayan pesos | $3,490 |
| Hong Kong dollars | $50 |
Detainees and Their alleged roles
| Detainee | Role | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Albertina Mangini | Recruitment of victims | Judicial official (clerk) with 17 years in the judiciary; worked at the Public Prosecutor's Office. |
| Ignacio Marchioni | Account opening & management | Linked to the Sur Finanzas scandal; seized BMW, pistol, dollars. |
| Mauro Perrotta | Account opening & management | Originally from Mar del Plata; owns three gyms. |
What’s Next?
Mangini has refused to testify, while Marchioni submitted a written statement denying all charges. The case is being handled by Judge Agustín Crispo (Court of Guarantees No. 6 of La Plata) at the request of Prosecutor Betina Lacki. The rejection of the habeas corpus means the detention continues, and the investigation is far from over. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” the lead detectives said, hinting at possible connections to other provinces and even abroad.
The three suspects are currently held at the La Plata headquarters of the Buenos Aires provincial police.