Money laundering involves an effort by a person or persons to conceal the origins of money that is derived from illegal means, in order to make it appear legitimate. A conspiracy to launder money involves two or more people who plan to launder money, whether they are successful or not. Money laundering is a crime that is rarely prosecuted as a lone charge. Money laundering and conspiracy to launder money is often part of a larger prosecution focusing on tax evasion, criminal accounting practices, or other financial fraud investigations.

Money Laundering

The basics of money laundering include three distinct stages:

• Placement - the money is inserted into a legitimate financial institution, often in the form of cash deposits.
• Layering - the money is used in various financial transactions to change its form and creating difficulty tracing its origin. This can include bank-to-bank transfers, wire transfers to different countries, and purchasing high-value items.
• Integration - the money is re-introduced, appearing legitimate. If in a bank it can be wired to businesses for investment purposes, or it can be liquidated through the sale of the high value items previously purchased.

Conspiracy Charges

Conspiracy to Launder Money is prosecuted under the authority of the federal statute 18 U.S.C. § 1956, and convictions of the various elements of conspiracy and money laundering can result in up to 20 years in prison. In order to convict, prosecutions focus on proving the following elements

• That the defendant agreed to be involved in conducting or attempting to conduct a financial transaction
• That the transaction involved the proceeds of an unlawful activity
• That the defendant had knowledge of the proceeds coming from an illegal activity
• That the defendant knew the purpose of the transaction was to either disguise the source, to promote the unlawful activity, or to engage in tax evasion.

Contact the Law Offices of Geoffrey G. Nathan

Conspiracy to launder money, money laundering, and associated accusations are serious charges which require an aggressive criminal defense. Your money laundering conspiracy attorney needs to be experienced with federal criminal matters and have an advanced understanding of money laundering prosecutions. Attorney Nathan has extensive experience handling complex financial defenses. Contact the Law Offices of Geoffrey G. Nathan today.