Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Peru's Chicken Used in Money Laundering Operation - Maryland, U.S.

(LIP-ir) -- In the late 80's two Peruvian brothers, Francisco and Juan Solano, where the first to inaugurate a "pollo a la brasa" restaurant in Washington D.C., U.S.

The exquisite taste of this chicken, also famous in Peru, turned the business into an immediate success. The brothers made millions and became great examples for Peru's people and the Hispanic community.

This wonderful success story came crashing down when Francisco and Juan were arrested July 12 for conspiring to harbor illegal immigrants, employing undocumented workers, bank fraud and having taken part in money laundering operations.

Yesterday, Maryland State Prosecutor, Rod J. Rosentein, stated that the two Peruvian brothers have been violating federal laws in their Wheaton, Maryland restaurant from January 1999 - July 2007.

The brothers were accused of money laundering, as evidence was submitted proving that the brothers had deposited US$10 thousand a week, in attempts to avoid being caught by Maryland State tax control agencies.

According to Rosentein, it is estimated that the brothers have intentionally concealed US$8 million in profits in the past 4 years. Police sources have revealed that the brothers' situation will be much worse if FBI investigations prove they have ties with drug traffickers.

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# Dale Hemme says :
2 August, 2007 [ 14:22 ]

Imagine that .............crooked Peruvian businessmen.........Who would have ever thought..........

# perro rabioso says :
2 August, 2007 [ 16:03 ]

I remember buying two kilos some 30 years ago that had chicken feathers in it - I guess it must have been made in a chicken kitchen somewhere... The Solano Brothers? Just a light comment.

# David Zimmerman says :
2 August, 2007 [ 17:35 ]

I've spent years trying to find chicken like I had in Lima but have yet to find anything quite as good. Now these guys had to mess up my chances! Oh well, at least there's hope of finding great potatoes.

# Danmar says :
2 August, 2007 [ 21:16 ]

Dale Hemme:  there are crooked businessmen everywhere.  Please behave yourself on this forum or you'll be declared "personna non grata". This is a very nice web site and people like you can ruin it.

There are also honest businessmen in the US, UK, France, just like in Peru.  I have honest businessmen in my family and I feel insulted when you assume that all Peruvian businessmen are crooked.  Yours is a very arrogant and condescending statement.

# perro rabioso says :
2 August, 2007 [ 21:22 ]

I thought someone would ask, "...two kilos of what?"
It's hard to get a humorous response when people take all these comments too seriously.

# Julio says :
2 August, 2007 [ 21:42 ]

Two kilos of what?

# StrayKat says :
3 August, 2007 [ 01:59 ]

Boy, I think Danmar has confused 'patriotism' with stupidity.  Don't let your heart cloud your judgment or your ideals.  I love Peru, in fact I have spent a good part of my life here, however I am reasonable enough (or should I say 'sane enough') to admit that Peru has many faults, many of which are more common and more blatant than in other countries -for example shady businesses that exploit their employees for non-humane wages (yes, it happens in other 'industrialized nations' however it does not happen as blatantly or audaciously as it does in Peru.  Anyone who says otherwise is letting something else block their judgment, most likely stupidity or 'love' for their country.  I love Peru with all of my heart but that doesn't mean that I will turn a blind eye and imply that things are as 'legitimate' here as they are elsewhere.  That's just foolish.  Would you call governments (past and current) that have armed body guards, special travel arrangements, parties, clothing allowances, distorted benefits (when compared to a 'typical' Peruvian worker) and other frivolous items and luxuries right when more than half of the country's population is in extreme poverty?  Wake up and help Peru instead of justifying the status quo as acceptable, or even worse, something to brag about.

# Zamboni says :
3 August, 2007 [ 07:14 ]

Two Kilos of feathers?

# Jeff Robins says :
3 August, 2007 [ 07:42 ]

Yes StrayCat things could be better no doupt. Peru is a beautiful country & people should make better wages & living conditions could improve as well. But like the saying goes, Count Your Blessings. In China, people who are making far less, while speaking out against their own form of government for example, are thrown into a prison factory. There is no wage & there fore no strikes to protest. Instead you are forced to your knees & the last thing one hears is a AK-47 bolt carraige being pulled back. China is such a model for living conditions & wages. Olympics In China? Why not Peru?

# Ernesto says :
3 August, 2007 [ 12:24 ]

I live in Virginia where the Solano family start doing business in 1988(Arlington VA) and they associated with the other brother to put the one in Maryland (where the problem was) I felt very dissapointed because it is the Best chicken you ever tried (not even in Peru),however a couple of weeks ago i went to the one in Arlington and I was so surprised that they don't learned their lesson, they still receiving only cash and they don't give you a receipt for that, so I guess they got what they deserved.

# perro rabioso says :
3 August, 2007 [ 12:49 ]

The answer: two kilos of cocaina clorohidrato - producto Peruano - 100%  top stuff to quote Tony Montana.

# Luis says :
3 August, 2007 [ 13:00 ]

Tony said, A 100% Good Shi- Man!

# Zamboni says :
3 August, 2007 [ 13:16 ]

Cocaina clorohidrato is made of chicken feathers? 

# perro rabioso says :
3 August, 2007 [ 13:20 ]

I stand (happily) corrected. I thought about an accurate quote but I have tried to respect the "living in Peru" editors, owners, workers, whatever by restraining my normally more boistrous use of profanity. However, you are quite right. That was a wonderful movie if you ask me and none of the more recent drug trafficking movies can even hold a candle to it. I thought it was especially good because it was so accurate in the characters and situations (at least at that time) in the international drug business. Something I used to know something about.

# perro rabioso says :
3 August, 2007 [ 13:22 ]

The original comment I made was about finding chicken feathers in the two kilos of coke I had just purchased. A joke.

# Jack Cross says :
3 August, 2007 [ 13:35 ]

Let us not forget that quality education from Frank. "In this business there are two things too remember. Don't ever under estimate the other guys greeeeeeeed! HaHaHaHaHa. Oh yes, and don't get high on your own supply." Yes Perro it is a true classic. I can not count the times I have seen this flick.

# Edward says :
17 January, 2008 [ 08:01 ]

Really when I was in Wheaten I went to this retaurent. It was fully croweded.First time I ate peru chicken there. I found feathers too but I like that taste.Now I live in UK still I am looking for that recepy. But couldn't find. If some one knows let me have.wdonedward@hotmail.com.

# natalie says :
17 August, 2008 [ 17:40 ]

i live in maryland and i have been to every( not kidding) every peruvian rotisserie restaurant and el pollo rico is not the best. my dad owned a polleria and i grew up with the smell of pollo a la brasa every afternoon. i eat pollo a la brasa whenever i can and i like the crisp and juicy at rockville better than el pollo rico. el pollo rico is o.k not the greatest. what made it popular was its price and the fact that it opened in a very central american populated neighborhood. and obviopusly these people fell in love with our chicken. but lima def does it way better. i went to peru for 2 months, vacation and ate so much chicken that when i go to any polleria here it just isn't the same. I just want people to know that peruvians know how to eat there chicken, we are like the french but modernized. we like quality and quantity. when it comes to food we know what we want. heck.. it was not our fault we know how to cook!!!
PERUVIAN PRIDE ALL THE WAY