DIICOT prosecutors have extended the criminal investigation against influencer Andrew Tate, who is now accused of a new offense of human trafficking and money laundering.
Andrew Tate appeared at the DIICOT headquarters on Wednesday to be informed about the new accusations. These add to the case in which he and his brother, Tristan Tate, are being investigated for forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking, rape, and other crimes.
DIICOT: Recruited a Vulnerable Young Woman and Forced Her into Video Chatting
According to prosecutors, Andrew Tate recruited a young woman in the first part of 2017 who was in a state of heightened vulnerability, taking advantage of her lack of family support, psychological traumas, and material difficulties she was facing.
Investigators claim that the influencer misled her, pretending to intend to build a romantic relationship with her, only to later sexually exploit her.
According to DIICOT, the victim was emotionally coerced to participate in the production and distribution of pornographic materials and engage in video chat activities on a specialized platform.
Judicial sources cited by Agerpres state that the exploited young woman is Romanian.
Prosecutors further claim that during the exploitation, the woman was housed in a house in Ilfov County, where she was provided with the necessary equipment and conditions for video chat activities.
Money Laundering Accusations through Two Companies
DIICOT has also formulated a new accusation of money laundering.
According to investigators, between May 2018 and October 2022, Andrew Tate and his brother established two companies to conceal the origin of sums obtained from human trafficking and to introduce them into the legal economic circuit.
Prosecutors claim that the two transferred over 13 million lei and 370,000 euros into the companies' assets under the guise of apparently granted loans to the companies.
Subsequently, the money was used to purchase lands, constructions, vehicles, services, and a four-story building, totaling over 13 million lei and approximately 360,000 euros.
Investigators allege that the assets were registered under the companies but were used exclusively for personal interests, including upgrading the brothers' residence and acquiring cars and other goods unrelated to the declared activities of the companies.
The Tate File, Referred Back to DIICOT
Andrew and Tristan Tate were placed in pre-trial detention in December 2022 following DIICOT raids on their properties in Romania. After spending about three months in detention, the measure was replaced with house arrest, and later with judicial control, until early April. The two consistently denied the accusations made by prosecutors.
The Tate Brothers were indicted by DIICOT in June 2023, accused of forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking, rape, illegal access to computer systems, and other crimes.
In December 2024, the court annulled the indictment and decided to refer the case back to DIICOT for the reconstruction of the criminal investigation.
Currently, prosecutors are reconstructing the criminal proceedings and continuing the investigations.
Andrew Tate is one of the most well-known influencers in the online environment, with millions of followers on the X platform. A former professional kickboxer, he settled in Romania several years ago and gained notoriety for his controversial messages regarding relationships between men and women.