Des Moines Money Laundering Defense Attorney

Money laundering is just what its name sounds like: cleaning money from illegal activity. Generally, people think of money laundering as drug dealers "cleaning" their money from drug sales by investing it into legal activity such as purchasing items from retailers or taking the illegal money to the casino. Legally, money laundering is much more than just that.

If you have been charged with money laundering, you can find help at Feld Law Firm. Legal representation is just a phone call away.

Contact us online or at (515) 996-4441 today.

Defining Money Laundering

It is unlawful for a person to commit money laundering by:

• Knowingly transporting, receiving, or acquiring property or conducting a transaction involving property, knowing that the property involved is the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity, when, in fact, the property is the proceeds of specified unlawful activity.
• Making property available to another, by transaction, transportation, or otherwise, knowing that it is intended to be used for the purpose of committing or furthering the commission of specified unlawful activity
• Conducting a transaction knowing that the property involved in the transaction is the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity with the intent to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, or control the property or the intent to avoid a transaction-reporting requirement under chapter 529, the Iowa Financial Transaction Reporting Act, or federal law.
• Knowingly engaging in the business of conducting, directing, planning, organizing, initiating, financing, managing, supervising, or facilitating transactions involving property, knowing that the property involved in the transaction is the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity, that, in fact, is the proceeds of specified unlawful activity.

Potential Penalties

A person who violates Subsection 1, paragraph "a", "b", or "c" commits a class C felony and may be fined not more than $13,660 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater, or be imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.

A person who violates Subsection 1, paragraph "d", commits a class D felony and may be fined not more than $10,245 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater, or be imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.

A person who violates subsection 1, paragraph a, b, c, or d, is subject to a civil penalty of three times the value of the property involved in the transaction, in addition to any criminal sanction imposed.

A person found guilty of a violation under this section also may be charged with violations under 706A, and property involved in a violation under this chapter is subject to forfeiture under 809A.

Under Iowa law, "proceeds" is defined as property acquired or derived directly or indirectly from, produced through, realized through, or caused by an act or omission and includes any property of any kind – including cash, credit cards, etc.

Call Feld Law Firm

As you can see, money laundering is not a crime to take lightly. If convicted, one can serve some serious time in prison and be penalized thousands of dollars.

Simply put, if you are charged with this crime, you should talk to our criminal defense attorney. Our Des Moines money laundering defense attorney would be happy to discuss your situation with you and point you in the right direction.

Call us at (515) 996-4441 to get started with a free consultation.