About Money Laundering Charges

Money laundering is a serious criminal offense that is charged when an individual is accused of taking income that was made off criminal activities, whether gambling, the illegal drug trade or other activity and making it appear to be legitimately earned by running it through a commercial enterprise.  When criminal activities produce large amounts of money, certain individuals choose to hide the income by making it appear that it was gained through a legitimate business. 

Defending Money Laundering Charges

Money laundering charges are usually charged in federal court, and have often been investigated by the FBI or other federal investigation unit.  The evidence usually includes extensive accounting information, bank records, business books, internet records, phone records and other evidence that is brought to court to prove that the income of the business was not from the legitimate source but from criminal activity.  If you hope to be successfully defended in a money laundering case, it is critical that you have an exceptionally qualified defense attorney to fight from the moment you recognize that you are under investigation for such a crime.

Never agree to being questioned about the situation without your attorney present.  Any questioning has only one goal in mind:  to find more evidence with which to convict.  If you agree to be interviewed without your lawyer there, you run the risk of making statements that can be used against you.  Everything you say, even your demeanor will be carefully noted and can be brought up in court later.  If you are under investigation in a money laundering case, it is crucial that you protect yourself with a skilled defense lawyer at your side.  Any investigation usually results in a criminal charge, and there is no benefit to your defense in answering questions.  No matter what your circumstances or how serious the case may appear, there are frequently excellent options for the defense.  It is critical that you act quickly in enlisting legal representation from a money laundering defense lawyer before the case progresses any further.