If you have been arrested and charged with money laundering, which is also known as financial facilitation of criminal activity in Mercer County, the Law Offices of Keith Oliver Criminal Law can help. This is a very serious charge and it should not be taken lightly. In fact, this offense is usually a “tack on” charge as well. Meaning, that most clients charged with money laundering are also charged with other serious criminal offenses like the distribution of heroin, the theft of services, theft by deception, identity theft, credit card fraud and distribution of cocaine. As you will see below, the dollar amount in question is what will dictate what degree of a felony a Defendant is charged with. If the dollar amount is in excess of $500,000 then the Defendant will be charged with a first degree felony, which could land a Defendant behind bars for up to twenty (20) years. To make matters worse, a Defendant charged with money laundering may be forced to defend their charges from inside the Mercer County Jail. Based on the new bail guidelines, the prosecution now has the ability to detain a Defendant in the Mercer County Jail, pending trial, without bail. However, in order to do so, the prosecution must file for and be successful at a Detention Hearing. For more information on Detention Hearings, please contact our Hamilton office at 609-789-0779.
The criminal defense attorneys at Keith Oliver Criminal Law have been defending clients accused of crimes in courts throughout Mercer County, including courts in towns like Hamilton, Lawrence, Ewing, Trenton, Robbinsville, West Windsor, East Windsor and Hopewell for years now. We have represented clients accused of not only money laundering but receiving stolen property, theft of services, theft by deception, leader of a drug trafficking network, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and theft by extortion. If you would like to schedule a free initial consultation today with Mr. Oliver or one of the other criminal defense attorneys on staff, then please contact us at (609) 789-0779. These are very serious charges, as such, they require the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Now here is some important information on the crime of financial facilitation.
Money Laundering Lawyers in Trenton NJ
Regardless of the dollar amount in question, the crime of money laundering will always be a felony offense. The governing statute in New Jersey for money laundering is NJSA 2C:21-25. As you will see, the statute has really three important subsections. They include the following:
NJSA 2C:21-25a: Money Laundering Charges in NJ
This section of the statute states in pertinent part that “a person is guilty of a crime if the person transports or possesses property known or which a reasonable person would believe to be derived from criminal activity”.
- In order to be convicted of this section, the prosecution must prove:
- That the Defendant knowingly transported or possessed property;
- That the Defendant knew or a reasonable person would have believed that the property was derived from criminal activity.
NJSA 2C:21-25b: Money Laundering Charges in NJ
This section of the statute states in pertinent part that “a person is guilty of a crime if the person engages in a transaction involving property known or which a reasonable person would believe to be derived from criminal activity with the intent to facilitate or promote criminal activity.”
- To be convicted of this subsection, the prosecution must establish:
- That the Defendant knowingly engaged in a transaction involving property;
- The Defendant knew, or a reasonable person would have believed, that the property was derived from criminal activity; &
- The Defendant’s intent was to facilitate or promote criminal activity.
NJSA 2C:21-25c: Money Laundering Charges in NJ
This section of the statute states in pertinent part that “a person is guilty of a crime if the person directs, organizes, finances, plans, manages, supervises or controls the transportation of or transactions in property known or which a reasonable person would believe to be derived from criminal activity”.
- To be convicted of this subsection, the prosecution must prove:
- That the Defendant knowingly:
- Directed, organized, financed, planned, managed, supervised or controlled the transportation of or transactions in property;
- That the Defendant knew or a reasonable person would have believed that the property was derived from criminal activity;
- That the Defendant knowingly:
The general theme with all the subsections is the transfer of property that the Defendant knew or should have known was derived directly from criminal activity. More often then not, this stems from either an underlying theft and/or drug distribution charge. To speak to one of our criminal defense attorneys on staff about your options, please contact us at 609-789-0779.
Will I go to Jail for Money Laundering in NJ?
The degree of the money laundering charge in New Jersey will be dictated by the dollar amount of the property. Below is chart that not only breaks down the different degree’s but the potential penalties if convicted. It is important to note here that any prison sentence imposed for a money laundering charge must be run consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
| Degree | Value of the Property | Penalties |
| 1st Degree | More than $500,000 | 10 to 20 Years in Prison Fine up to $500,000 Felony Criminal Record |
| 2nd Degree | More than $75,000 but less than $500,000 | 5 to 10 Years in Prison Fine up to $500,000 Felony Criminal Record |
| 3rd Degree | Less than $75,000 | 3 to 5 Years in Prison Fine up to $500,000 Felony Criminal Record |
Money Laundering Defense Attorneys in NJ
If you have been charged with money laundering, the possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, robbery, theft of movable property or any other offense for that matter in Mercer County, let the criminal defense attorneys at Keith Oliver Criminal Law help. Being charged with a criminal offense can be nerve wracking, however, hiring the right attorney can go along way to alleviating that stress. If you would like to speak to one of our Mercer County criminal defense lawyers today then please contact us at (609) 789-0779. We serve all of Mercer County including towns like Princeton, Lawrence, Ewing, Trenton, Hamilton, Robbinsville and Hopewell.