New Website resource developed by Dallas based leading attorney Mick Mickelsen on the subject of Federal Money Laundering.
Money laundering is generally understood to be the process of making illegally obtained money (such as the proceeds gained from drug trafficking) appear to be from a legitimate source. However, money laundering charges can be far broader than this, and the penalties they carry can be as severe as the penalties for the underlying crime involved.
In a new article, Mick Mickelsen, a Texas Superlawyer with decades of experience in white collar crime defense, explains the central federal statutes involved in money laundering and related crimes.
“The two principal Federal money laundering statutes are 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957,” Mr. Mickelsen explains, “Section 1956 prohibits various activities involving criminal proceeds, including transactions that conceal the nature of the proceeds. Section 1957 focuses on spending criminal proceeds.”
Section 1956 prohibits engaging in financial transactions involving criminal proceeds with the goal of concealing the nature of these transactions, promoting further criminal activity, or evading taxes. Section 1957 essentially prohibits spending or depositing money that has been involved in criminal activity.
Mr. Mickelsen’s article explains the legal definitions of the terminology used in the statutes, in addition to clarifying why willful ignorance of criminal activity in money laundering cases still violates these laws.
“Although the statute requires that the defendant has knowledge that the financial transaction involved proceeds of criminal activity, it does not require that the defendant have knowledge of the exact nature of the criminal activity,” says Mr. Mickelsen. “The law also permits the government to satisfy the knowledge requirement by showing that the defendant was willfully blind to the criminal nature of the funds.”
For a tangible example of how this type of criminal defense case works, read about Clint Broden of Broden and Mickelsen Criminal Defense Attorneys representing a client charged on three counts of money laundering in federal court. When Mr. Broden won the case, his client had several hundred thousands of dollars worth of assets returned to him by the federal government and was saved from a prison sentence of almost two decades.
Read the full web guide on Broden, Mickelsen Website for Mr. Mickelsen’s detailed explanation of the statutes, as well as on structuring, willful failure to report cash transactions, and sentencing guidelines for money laundering-related crimes.
About Broden & Mickelsen
Experienced white collar criminal defense lawyers in Dallas, Broden & Mickelsen are dedicated to providing aggressive and ethical representation to individuals and businesses charged with criminal offenses. Both partners play an active role in each case, and are committed to the belief that when a person is charged with a crime, he or she deserves to be represented by attorneys that provide a vigorous defense. By evaluating each case individually and by using all the resources available to achieve a favorable resolution. Read more about selecting an attorney, or schedule a consultation for your case.
Broden Mickelsen - Federal Criminal Defense - 214-720-9552
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