Money Laundering Carries Stiff Penalties

 Posted on November 22, 2022 in Federal Crimes

A suburban Chicago man who was convicted of laundering illegal narcotics proceeds was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. The man schemed to receive about $1.5 million in narcotics proceeds and send money back to traffickers in Mexico.

Federal criminal cases such as these call attention to how easily money laundering charges can arise in connection to all kinds of illicit activity, so many people can quickly find themselves accused of these offenses. In addition to the 20 years in prison, an alleged money laundering offender can also be ordered to pay a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in a transaction for money laundering.

Possible Money Laundering Defenses

When you are facing federal money laundering charges, you are going to need to invest in a criminal defense attorney who will know how to best develop a defense that can help create reasonable doubt in the mind of a juror. In many cases, alleged offenders may be able to argue that the money involved in their transaction was not obtained from any illegal activity and the episode did not involve any unlawful conduct.

A lack of intent defense can be a common claim against these charges because an alleged offender may be able to argue that they did not knowingly participate in a scheme to obtain money from an unlawful activity. Lack of intent can also apply to cases in which alleged offenders simply argue that they did not intend to commit any kind of a money laundering offense.

There may be cases in which an alleged offender’s financial records contain errors that prosecutors connect to illegal activities, but somebody may be able to argue they are only unintentional errors. It is also possible to argue that illegally obtained funds were properly recorded but there was no knowledge of their illegal nature.

Some alleged offenders can also claim that they were coerced or under duress to participate in a money laundering scheme. When people are threatened with physical violence for not participating, they are victims of extortion and may have a valid defense for their actions.

There is also the possibility in a money laundering case that you could be dealing with a law enforcement agency that illegally obtained certain forms of evidence. Proper review of every form of evidence in your case is required so you can effectively challenge any illegally obtained materials.

Contact a Chicago Money Laundering Lawyer

Are you currently facing money laundering charges in the Chicagoland area? You will want to make sure that you speak with a Chicago money laundering attorney at Law Offices of Hal M. Garfinkel LLC, Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney so you can get a much better idea of what will be necessary in your case and how you might be able to achieve the most favorable possible outcome. 

Our firm understands the most effective ways of fighting federal prosecutors, so we know how to help defend people in all kinds of money laundering cases. You can call 312-629-0669 or contact us online to set up a free consultation.

Source:

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-area-man-sentenced-to-7-years-for-laundering-drug-money-for-mexican-drug-traffickers