Money Laundering Attorney in Manassas

Former Prosecutors with Over 30 Years of Combined Criminal Defense Experience

Money laundering allegations can cause bank deposits, transfers, cash transactions, property purchases, or routine business activity to be interpreted as evidence of a serious crime. The government may focus on where the funds came from, what you knew about their source, and whether a transaction was intended to conceal or promote unlawful activity.

We defend people facing financial crime allegations in Manassas and throughout Northern Virginia. David J. Dischley’s published experience includes work involving financial crimes and money laundering operations, giving us relevant insight into cases built around complex transactions and related criminal allegations.

If investigators have contacted you, requested records, or filed charges, don’t respond before you understand your legal position.

How Virginia & Federal Money Laundering Laws Differ

Virginia and federal laws contain different elements, procedures, and potential penalties. The applicable statute generally depends on the alleged conduct, the source and movement of the funds, the investigating agencies, and where prosecutors file the case.

Virginia Money Laundering Charges

Virginia Code § 18.2-246.3(A) generally prohibits knowingly conducting a financial transaction involving property known to represent proceeds of felony activity. To obtain a conviction under this provision, prosecutors generally must prove that the property came from felony conduct and that the accused knew its source.

A separate provision addresses converting cash into negotiable instruments or electronic funds for another person while knowing the cash came from felony activity. The consequences under this provision differ for first and subsequent violations. A violation of Virginia Code § 18.2-246.3(A) may carry up to 40 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.

Federal Money Laundering Charges

The primary federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1956, covers several forms of money laundering. Prosecutors may allege that a transaction involved proceeds of specified unlawful activity, meaning an underlying crime identified by federal law, and was conducted to promote unlawful activity or conceal the proceeds’ nature, source, ownership, location, or control.

Federal prosecutors may bring these allegations alongside fraud, identity theft, drug trafficking, conspiracy, or another underlying offense. Moving money connected to a crime isn’t automatically money laundering. The required knowledge and intent, as well as the relationship between the transaction and the alleged unlawful conduct, remain central issues. Potential exposure depends on the charged statute, transaction amounts, alleged conduct, criminal history, and other case-specific factors.

How Financial Crime Allegations Can Affect Your Future

The consequences of a charge or conviction can extend beyond incarceration and fines. Depending on the circumstances, they may affect employment, professional licensing, immigration status, business operations, family finances, and reputation. Financial assets may also become part of an asset forfeiture proceeding, through which the government seeks property allegedly connected to criminal activity.