subject: Tips On Hiring An Attorney To Deal With A Money Laundering Charge [print this page] Money laundering may be defined as the transaction of money generated from any criminal activity in order to make it clean. It may be money from a drug deal or from a white collar crime. The aim is to transfer this money in such a manner that the original source of the money remains untraced.
A number of schemes are used for money laundering. This is done to avoid being caught by the law enforcement authorities. It is always possible that an individual is not even aware that the transaction involves money generated from criminal activities.
The law enforcement authorities need to prove that the individual has knowingly participated in the money laundering scheme. Only then they would be able to prosecute the individual at a court of law.
Prevention is better than cure. It is always a good idea to know the source of the money before you conduct a transaction. However this is not possible in certain circumstances. If you have been wrongly accused of being a participant in a money laundering scheme you need to take immediate action to prevent any legal hassles later.
The first thing to do is contact a money laundering attorney specializing in the particular field. A money laundering charge is a serious accusation belonging to the class of felonies. The penalties may include jail term and/or fines.
A thorough knowledge of the Anti-Money Laundering Statutes, mentioned in the Title 18, United States Code, is necessary to deal with such cases. Only a qualified attorney would possess the adequate knowledge of the laws applicable on such cases.
Apart from the qualification, you need to check for the experience of the lawyer. Experience in handling cases of similar nature is essential as it increases the expertise of the attorney. The success rate of the attorney in such cases needs to be checked as well.
The next thing to do is check whether the lawyer has a practicing license of your state. Only if he possesses one, can he act as your legal representative. This can be checked at the local bar association. All bar associations maintain a list of the attorneys licensed to practice in the area. You could also check whether there were any license suspensions of an attorney.
After you have checked the work profile of the money laundering attorney and think that he suits your requirements, you need to visit him once. The first consultation with the attorney is, in most cases, available for free.
Prepare a list of questions you need to ask the attorney when you go for the consultation. These should aim at judging the attorneys expertise. Ask him about the strategy he wants to use in the case, the documents necessary for the case, and so on.
You need to carry all relevant documents on this visit as well. Make a note of all the important points you need to discuss with your lawyer beforehand. This helps in missing out on any important details. If the lawyer seems to be capable of handling the case and his charges suit your budget, you can hire him for the job
