One of four men from the same extended family charged with operating a series of illegal check-cashing businesses in the East End pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court.

Eid Ghanem, 37, of Monroeville, waived indictment and pleaded to violating currency transaction laws in connection with his business, Super Dollar, at 5801 Penn Ave.

Mr. Ghanem admitted that he helped customers launder money by showing them how to structure currency transactions to avoid IRS reporting requirements in 2004 and 2007.

Under federal law, transactions such as money orders, deposits and wire transfers over $10,000 must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service.

Criminals, however, often try to circumvent that requirement by depositing money from illegal proceeds in smaller amounts.

Mr. Ghanem acknowledged that he showed his customers how to do that.

The prosecution is part of a larger investigation of storefront check-cashing operations run by Mr. Ghanem and three of his relatives, identified in court papers as Eyad Shuman, his nephew Yasin Shuman, and another man, Aref Hamdah.

Agents from the IRS, U.S. Immigration and Customs, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the state Department of Banking said the men, either by themselves or with the others, ran several unlicensed check-cashing businesses over the years, including Cheap Tobacco Outlet and Three Cousins News on Penn Avenue and Shuman's Market on Liberty Avenue.

When questioned in 2002 about suspicious wire transfers at Super Dollar, Mr. Ghanem told agents that he had a "no questions asked" policy.

Agents then conducted four undercover money order purchases of more than $10,000 at the store between 2004 and 2007.

In each case, according to court papers, Mr. Ghanem instructed the agents to structure the transactions in smaller amounts to avoid detection by law enforcement.

On the last occasion, Mr. Ghanem also gave an agent photo IDs from other people and told him to use them to send the transfers.

The investigation culminated in a search warrant at Super Dollar last March.

Mr. Ghanem is the first of the men to plead.

Eyad Shuman is scheduled to waive indictment next week and enter a plea.

The other two men are under indictment and awaiting trial but are also expected to plead.