White Collar Crimes: Money Laundering

Miami Money Laundering Defense Lawyers The crime of money laundering can be charged in federal and state court. Money laundering refers to the crime of concealing sources of money that are derived from criminal enterprises. The purpose of money laundering is to take "dirty" money and convert or launder it into clean money. Money laundering can occur in many forms levels of sophistication. Money laundering usually occurs in three stages. The first stage in money laundering is to introduce the tainted funds into the financial system. The second stage is to covert the tainted funds by carrying out complex financial transactions to conceal the illegal source of the money. The third stage is to acquire the money that has been freed of any taint. Several types of money laundering include structuring, bulk cash smuggling, the use of shell companies and trusts and real estate transactions.

The Miami criminal lawyers at DMT have years of experience in defending Miami money laundering cases. Money laundering charges can stem from various criminal enterprises from mortgage fraud to cocaine trafficking. The laundering of money is a criminal offense where illegally obtained monies are transferred to bank accounts or individuals in an effort to make the funds appear as if they have been generated through legitimate business enterprises. If a money laundering scheme is successful, those engaged in criminal conduct can successfully spend their illegally acquired money without fear of prosecution.

The crime of money laundering can be prosecuted in state court. The Florida legislature has defined money laundering as a financial transaction or series of transactions that are contrived to conceal or disguise monies that were acquired through criminal activity. The prosecution must prove that a defendant knew about the criminal activity that produced the tainted funds and that the defendant knew that the financial transactions were used to conceal or hide the proceeds gained from the criminal activity. Money laundering can be charged as a 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree felony depending on the amount of money that was laundered over a twelve month period.

In an effort to curtail criminal enterprises and money laundering, the federal government has enacted laws over the years to prevent those involved in criminal enterprises from using financial institutions such as a banks and brokerage houses to clean their money. The following federal laws were passed to assist federal authorities and prosecutors in the fight against money laundering: The Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. In addition to the federal measures added to curtail money laundering, 36 states have also enacted legislature to combat the increasingly popular crime.

Because Miami and the South Florida area are the hotbed for such criminal offenses such a drug trafficking, mortgage fraud, securities fraud and Medicare fraud; money laundering has become a popular offense. The aforementioned list of crimes often generate large streams of illegal income. As a result, those who engage in criminal conduct where large sums of money are made, attempt to make their gains appear to be legally obtained.

The Miami criminal defense attorneys at DMT have defended clients in numerous money laundering cases both in federal and state court with outstanding results. If you are being investigated for money laundering or have been arrested for money laundering, it is imperative to contact a criminal attorney at DMT to represent your interests. Always remember to speak with a qualified Miami money laundering defense lawyer before speaking to state or federal authorities.

If you are under investigation for, or have been arrested and charged with money laundering, contact the Miami criminal lawyers at DMT. An experienced criminal attorney is available every day of the year, 24 hours a day to speak with you regarding your situation. You can call our office at (305) 340-2197 or reach us by completing the form on our contact page or by sending an e-mail.