In a Maryland federal money laundering investigation, the government presents all of the evidence to establish that criminal activities resulted in the money. In sophisticated prosecutions, that may involve surveillance, wiretaps, photographs, or video. The prosecution looks for documents that prove a financial transaction took place.
Most often, those financial transactions involve documents such as bank records, wire transfers, real estate records, and things of that nature depending on the facts of the specific case. For more information on how the investigations work, talk to a skilled lawyer today.
Showing Illegal Activity
The government must first show that there was illegal activity. They need to show that the money was moved and there was intent to conceal the fact that the money came from illegal activity. The government can use any witnesses and any documents they have available to them. In these types of sophisticated criminal enterprises, the government has surveillance and uses confidential informants and wiretaps to tie it all together.
Who the Witnesses Are
In a Maryland federal money laundering investigation, the prosecution may call law enforcement officers as witnesses. In a federal money laundering case, that would include FBI agents, agents from other federal agencies, and local police. The local police department was likely involved in the investigation of the initial criminal activity.
Witnesses could include civilians who may have direct knowledge of the events because they saw it or heard it. Witnesses can be used to authenticate the documentary evidence the government wants to introduce to prove the transactions and the intent. In a sophisticated money laundering case, there are many different witnesses, both civilian and law enforcement.
How an Attorney Handles an Investigation
Money laundering cases require investigators. Depending on the facts of any particular case, a Maryland federal money laundering attorney looks for video evidence, audio evidence, documentary evidence, and live witnesses. They do background investigations on other people involved in the case, discover the evidence out there to identify what is harmful and what is helpful. Because the defense to money laundering charges is labor intensive to prepare, some law firms have investigators on staff to assist with the research and investigation.
Determining Evidence
The defense attorney determines the evidence the government plans to use against a person. They carefully analyze the evidence to look for strengths and weaknesses in the government’s case. They look for areas where the government’s evidence can be challenged.
If the government did not follow the rules, the statutes, and the constitution when acquiring evidence, the defense attorney can challenge that. They do the legal research necessary to see if there are any areas where evidence can be suppressed or challenged. All of these things are necessary when investigating federal money laundering cases in DC.
Agencies Involved in Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is usually involved with money laundering offenses because it is the principal federal law enforcement agency in the United States. Depending on the specifics of the case, other federal agencies like the IRS and the Secret Service could be involved. When the money laundering offense involves a drug enterprise, DEA agents are involved in the case along with state and local law enforcement agencies depending on their role in the investigation of the criminal activity and the money laundering that came from the criminal activity.
Mix of Agencies
Often times, there is a mix of federal and local law enforcement. Federal agencies are involved in a federal case because they have the multi-jurisdictional power. In other words, they are not limited to investigating crimes occurring within just one state, county, or city. Rather, they can investigate crimes nationwide. In Maryland federal money laundering cases and investigations, often the activities crossed state lines such that federal agents need to be involved.
First Elements of Money Laundering to Identify
When a person is investigated or charged with money laundering, their lawyer first determines the government’s specific allegations. That means the transaction the government is targeting. The lawyer identifies who is involved with those transactions and the source of the funds at issue. The government must prove that the funds came from illegal activity and were involved in a financial transaction with the intent to conceal the source of those funds. The focus of the defense lawyer’s investigation is on the financial transactions the government claims were money laundering, the people involved with that activity, and the source of the funds.
Escalation of Investigation
Once the defense lawyer has the basic facts, they focus on the important details because the government must prove that there was illegal conduct and the money transaction was done with the intent to conceal that conduct. The lawyer looks at specific details the government might use to prove there was an unlawful intent to conceal. Those details include the people involved, conversations that took place, and any documents or other evidence that establishes the intent to conceal fraudulent activity to make it appear that the money was legally obtained. The defense lawyer looks at those important details to find out what the government plans to use to prove their case. The lawyer comes up with a strategy to attack those allegations with the evidence.
Hiring a Maryland Federal Money Laundering Lawyer
A Maryland federal money laundering lawyer knows how investigations work, what evidence is needed, and how to go about the process. Call one today for legal reassurance.
