Money Laundering

Charged with Money Laundering In Orange County California?

Money Laundering is generally defined as some creative process whereby the origin of dishonest and/or illegally obtained money is concealed so that it appears to come from a legitimate source. The term “money laundering” was coined because criminals need to wash their “dirty” criminal money into “clean” legitimate money that they can then use without arousing suspicion as to the actual source. A person convicted of money laundering can be sentenced to 20-years in prison and fined $500,000, or twice the value of the property involved in the criminal transaction, whichever is greater.

If you are being investigated for money laundering or actually charged with money laundering it could not be a worse time because of the events of 2001.

The 9-11 Terrorist Attack has Upped Enforcement & Prosecution

The new political climate following the 9-11 terrorist attack has created a new more aggressive government (all levels: Federal, State and Local) which has specifically targeted money laundering as NUMBER ONE PRIORITY because money laundering can finance terrorists. The repercussions of all this, even here in Orange County, is that ANY investigation regarding money laundering is treated significantly more aggressively, and the punishments are harsher following new laws and statutes such as the Money Laundering Control Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and the US Patriot Act.

Because of these ratcheted-up laws, these cases are more complicated than ever. When law enforcement agencies investigate money laundering, their investigation often reaches out beyond our national borders if any one in your network is outside the country. Moreover, any of your personal friends or business clients will often be approached or investigated causing you significant stress and embarrassment. If this has not yet happened, you can take immediate steps to attempt to head off such aggressive interrogations of those you associate with by getting legal representation on your side. Money laundering charges, like credit card fraud, identity theft and other financial crimes often carries with it other serious criminal charges including: terrorism, white collar, public corruption, organized crime, drug trafficking, and tax evasion.

Consequences of Being Wrongly Accused of Money Laundering

If you have been wrongfully accused or charged with money laundering, your personal and business life can be ruined forever. Unfortunately, ones’ reputation can be tarnished to the point where there is little or no recovery possible. Even if fully exonerated, most people assume that “where there’s smoke – there’s fire.” Regardless of your innocence, a mere accusation of money laundering can devastate a legitimate business. By stepping up and fighting accusations early, an experienced criminal defense attorney can fight for your rights and in some cases get the charges dismissed or reduced before your colleagues are questioned or interrogated, or the charges are filed, or you end up in a courtroom where the charges become public record, thus saving you and your business from unwanted negative publicity.

If you or someone you care about has been accused of money laundering in California, contact Criminal Defense Attorney Christian R. Jensen for a free consultation.

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