A prosecutor may charge an individual with money laundering if he or she has tried to conceal the source of money because it was profit from criminal activity. Money that has come from an unlawful activity is commonly known as "dirty money". A person will then launder the dirty money to make it appear "clean" or as if it came from a legitimate source. If you've been charged with this offense, then be sure to contact my firm. As a Hawaii criminal lawyer, I can make sure that you are properly defended against accusations for white collar crime.

Usually, money laundering occurs in a three step process: placement, layering, and integration. The money is first placed into the financial system, usually into a bank or another institution. This stage may prove difficult because banks are supposed to report any high volume of cash that is deposited. The second step is layering, or making the money difficult to trace by making many financial transactions. Persons can transfer the money between banks, wire it to different accounts, change the currency, and change the form by purchasing property or items.

The last step in the money laundering process is integrating the money back into the economy through a legitimate source. For example, a person may buy a product from a business that is in on a cut of the profits. At this stage, police usually cannot trace the money if they have no evidence of the other two steps.

To protect clients from this charge, my firm can try to prove that you had no knowledge that the funds were from criminal activity. You may have been an unsuspecting business partner or employee that handled the money with no idea where it came from. I may also be able to show that the money wasn't profit from criminal activity.

In addition to the offense of money laundering, a person may also be charged with the criminal activity that they were trying to hide. This can lead to very serious penalties. Don't hesitate to call my office if you've been accused of trying to conceal money, especially if it is in connection with another charge like drug trafficking. The competency of your defense lawyer may mean the difference between freedom and imprisonment. I offer a free case evaluation for those who are interested, so start by filling out our form and get advice from a licensed white collar crime lawyer.