Money Laundering

Palm Beach County White Collar Criminal Defense Lawyers

Money laundering is a serious criminal offense that may be charged as a first-degree felony with a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison. If you are facing money-laundering charges involving any amount of money, large or small, it is important that you consult a skilled criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.

With the help of an experienced attorney from Whittel & Melton, you can understand your rights and your legal options regarding your charges. You will also have a seasoned professional to ensure your constitutional rights are not violated during an investigation or during the entire criminal process.

When facing investigation and prosecution by a federal agency such as the IRS or FBI, you can feel intimidated or feel that there is not much of a chance that you will come out unscathed. But with an aggressive lawyer on your team, you have a chance of obtaining a favorable outcome - regardless of the specific charges you face.

Money laundering is the process of concealing the true source of illegally obtained money and entering it back into circulation. Essentially the scheme is to “clean” the money through multiple legitimate complex financial transactions, so that the illegal money appears to have originated from a legal source.

Under federal law, it is illegal to engage in a financial transaction or to transport finances that are the proceeds of unlawful activity in a manner designed to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of the money. Some examples of unlawful activity that involve money that suspects may try to “clean” or legitimize are narcotics trafficking, embezzlement and Medicaid Fraud. See 18 U.S.C. §1956.

Alternatively, a defendant can also be charged with a crime under 18 U.S.C. §1957, which prohibits engaging, or attempts to engage in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000.

The Uniform Sentencing Guidelines are what determine the range of penalties for a defendant charged with a federal crime. These guidelines can be very complicated to understand, but generally, a money laundering charge conviction can result in a 10- or 20-year prison term, depending on whether the crime is charged under §1956 or §1957 of the Federal Criminal Code.

If you have been accused of or are currently under investigation for money laundering, it is important to act quickly and consult an attorney regarding your case and your options at this point.

Our experienced Florida Criminal Defense Attorneys are ready to consult, defend and vindicate clients charged with federal crimes throughout Palm Beach County, including: Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Juno Beach, Jupiter, Lake Worth, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach and West Palm Beach.