Maximilien de Hoop Cartier, a descendant of the Cartier jewelry dynasty, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for operating an unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange that laundered over $470 million in drug trafficking proceeds. The 58-year-old resident of France, who also performs as a singer under the name "Max Cartier," funneled the money through US shell companies disguised as fake software and tech firms before sending it to Colombia. The scheme, dubbed the "Cartier Cell," dates back to at least 2018. Cartier was ordered to pay $2,362,160 in forfeiture and several shell company bank accounts.