Lawyer helped drug dealers hide cash

Tampa attorney Joe Manuel Gonzalez, 66, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he was part of a money-laundering scheme connected to drug sales.

Gonzalez, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's office, pleaded guilty to structuring financial transactions to avoid currency reporting requirements. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Gonzalez, according to the plea agreement, established a fictitious trust and bank account for a confidential source and a Drug Enforcement Administration undercover agent. The source and agent posed as brothers to Gonzalez, whose independent law firm in Tampa specializes in financial and tax matters.