Practice Areas

Money Laundering

Money Laundering Defense Attorneys

Sherman & Sherman Law

Money laundering officially became a crime in the United States only about two decades ago and in the initial period after the law’s 1986 passage, only a few dozen convictions were handed down each year.

These convictions now number well over 1000 every year.

At Sherman & Sherman, charges of money laundering are common to many of our other practice areas including financial crimes, drug crimes, and customs violations. And in nearly every single instance, civil or criminal forfeiture proceedings will soon follow.

Essentially, money laundering involves transporting undeclared funds or conducting any financial transaction with proceeds gained or likely to have been gained from illegal activities. Along with harsh prison sentences of up to 20 years, money laundering charges can also carry up to $500,000 in fines.

Money laundering crime may involve attempts to hide the profits from the illegal activities of drug traffickers, organized crime, arms smugglers, gambling operations, terrorist organizations, and others, by these and other means:

• Use of offshore financial centers to conceal financial information
• Purchasing cashier’s checks or money orders to ‘clean money’ from illegal activity
• Engaging in monetary transactions with proceeds of illegal activities
• Structuring financial transactions with proceeds of illegal activities
• The physical transfer of funds from the U.S. without declaring them
• Use of ‘shell’ corporations to disguise the ownership and source of funds

If you have been charged with a money laundering crime in the United States, our attorneys can provide the highly skilled representation you need to defend yourself against the money laundering charge itself, and the likely forfeiture proceedings that will soon follow.

To speak with one of our experienced lawyers, contact us at our Santa Monica office today and schedule a time we can meet to discuss your case.