Money Laundering

Money laundering is a large part of drug crimes because large amounts of money which are not in the legal economy must be ‘laundered’ so it can be used just like any other currency. The technical definition of money laundering is making a financial transaction to hide where the money originally came from. In other words, if money from an illegal transaction, such as a drug sale was used for a legal purpose, such as wiring the money to another bank account, where the money came from would then be concealed.

Fighting charges of money laundering often involves analyzing the methods that federal agencies have used to investigate the alleged crimes. Those who face money laundering charges may also be facing racketeering and drug crimes. The best criminal lawyers will investigate the search and seizure methods and the strength of the evidence against you. If errors were made during search and seizure, it will often provide a basis to get evidence suppressed. Without important evidence, charges for money laundering can often be dismissed or reduced.

Increased Investigations

Because of America’s focus on anti-terrorism, federal agencies are taking a more aggressive stance on money laundering and drug smuggling. With the Patriot Act of 2001, they may even be able to look into all your financial transactions quickly and easily. Even though this invasion of privacy aims to stop terrorism, it can needlessly violate the rights of many American citizens. If you are being investigated for organized crime, drug crimes, or money laundering, you need a criminal attorney who can be tough with federal agencies. Someone has to be there to tell them when they are crossing the line and violating your rights.

Organized Crime

Money laundering is directly related to organized crime. It is often difficult for the federal authorities to discriminate which people or organization were willfully participating in illegal acts, and which people and organization did not know they were involved in a money laundering scheme. As a result, many people will find themselves in serious legal trouble before they even realize what has happened. If you have been accused of money laundering or organized crime, you deserve the best defense possible to defend your rights and freedoms. By getting an experienced criminal attorney, you can defend yourself against charges of drugs, organized crime and money laundering.