Money Laundering

“Money laundering” is one of the most frequently charged crimes in federal court. Because the money laundering laws are too broad and reach otherwise innocent activity far removed from the common understanding of “money laundering,” they are often abused by prosecutors seeking to avail themselves of the heavy penalties for laundering convictions. As money laundering cases are frequently used to obtain criminal and civil forfeiture judgments, Mr. Smith covers the money laundering and structuring statutes in his treatise, Prosecution and Defense of Forfeiture Cases. He has expertly defended laundering and structuring cases, as well as the forfeitures associated with them. He was an active member of a task force assembled by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to propose reforms of the money laundering laws, and testified on the need for such reforms before the House Judiciary Committee.