Money Laundering Attorney in Cincinnati

Money laundering charges represent some of the most serious criminal allegations you can face in Ohio. These charges typically arise when federal or state prosecutors believe you have concealed, transferred, or invested money derived from criminal activity.

The consequences of conviction extend far beyond prison time—they include substantial fines, asset forfeiture, permanent criminal records, and collateral damage to your professional licenses, employment, and family relationships.

If you’re facing money laundering charges in Cincinnati, contact Moermond & Mulligan, LLC immediately for a free consultation with an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Our Cincinnati criminal defense attorneys have successfully defended clients facing federal financial crimes charges.

What Is Money Laundering Under Ohio Law?

Ohio law defines money laundering under Ohio Revised Code § 1315.55(A). This statute applies to any person who knowingly engages in a transaction involving property that represents proceeds from a pattern of criminal activity, with the intent to promote the criminal activity or conceal the source of the funds.

Money laundering does not require you to have committed the underlying crime. You can face charges even if someone else committed the original offense—you simply must have known (or should have known) that the money came from criminal activity and participated in concealing or transferring it.

Common money laundering scenarios include:

• Structuring deposits: Breaking large sums into smaller deposits to avoid federal reporting requirements under 31 U.S.C. § 5324
• Shell companies: Creating fake businesses to legitimize criminal proceeds
• Trade-based laundering: Over-invoicing or under-invoicing international transactions to move money across borders
• Cash-intensive businesses: Using restaurants, casinos, or retail operations to mix criminal proceeds with legitimate revenue
• Real estate transactions: Purchasing property with criminal proceeds through intermediaries

Ohio classifies money laundering as a third-degree felony. The penalties are severe, and the investigation process is complex, involving financial forensics, bank records analysis, and often cooperation from federal agencies. Understanding the consequences of financial crimes is critical to mounting an effective defense.

Federal Money Laundering Charges

Federal prosecutors pursue money laundering cases under two primary statutes:

• 18 U.S. Code § 1956 addresses money laundering itself. This statute prohibits conducting financial transactions with proceeds from specified unlawful activity, knowing the transaction promotes the criminal activity, or conceals the source of the funds. Conviction under § 1956 carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
• 18 U.S. Code § 1957 addresses monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. This statute applies when you conduct a transaction involving more than $10,000 in criminally derived property. Conviction under § 1957 carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

In addition, federal prosecution applies when the money laundering involves interstate commerce, federal banking systems, or proceeds from federal crimes. State prosecution applies when the activity involves only Ohio-based transactions and state-level criminal proceeds. If you’re facing federal charges, you need an attorney with federal court experience.

Penalties for Money Laundering Convictions

Ohio State Penalties

A money laundering conviction under Ohio Revised Code § 1315.55 results in a third-degree felony classification. The penalties include:

• Prison Sentence: For standard third-degree felony money laundering, sentences range from 9 to 36 months in state prison. However, if the amount of money laundered exceeds certain thresholds, the offense may be elevated to a second-degree felony (carrying 2-8 years) or first-degree felony (carrying 3-11 years). The court imposes sentences within the applicable range.
• Primary Fine: $7,500 or twice the value of the laundered money, whichever is greater. If you laundered $50,000, the fine would be at least $100,000.
• Additional Fine (Discretionary): The court may impose an additional fine of up to three times the value of the property involved, payable to the state treasury. This fine is separate from restitution.
• Restitution (Mandatory When Applicable): You must repay victims for their actual economic losses as determined by the court. This applies when the underlying criminal activity harmed identifiable victims.
• Post-Release Control: Following prison release, you face 12 months of post-release control (similar to probation) for standard third-degree felony convictions. If the offense is elevated to a higher felony degree, post-release control may extend to 3-5 years, depending on the felony classification.
• Collateral Consequences: A money laundering conviction results in a permanent criminal record. You may lose professional licenses (law, medicine, accounting, real estate), face employment termination or inability to find work in your field, experience immigration consequences if you are not a U.S. citizen, and suffer lasting damage to your reputation and family relationships.

Federal Penalties

Federal money laundering convictions carry substantially harsher penalties than state convictions:

• 18 U.S.C. § 1956 (Money Laundering): Up to 20 years federal prison. Conspiracy to commit money laundering carries the same 20-year maximum. Fine: Up to $500,000 or twice the value of the criminally derived property, whichever is greater.
• Supervised Release: Following prison release, you face up to 3 years of supervised release (federal probation).
• Asset Forfeiture: The government seizes all property involved in the money laundering transaction, as well as property traceable to the proceeds. This can include bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, and business interests.
• 18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Monetary Transactions): Up to 10 years federal prison for each transaction involving more than $10,000 in criminally derived property. Fine: Up to $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater.
• Collateral Consequences: Federal convictions result in permanent criminal records with even more severe employment, professional license, and immigration consequences than state convictions. Federal prisoners typically serve longer sentences than state prisoners, and federal supervised release is more restrictive than state post-release control.

Defense Strategies for Money Laundering Charges

Challenging the Evidence

Money laundering prosecutions depend on financial evidence—bank records, transaction documentation, and expert analysis. Your defense attorney examines this evidence carefully to identify weaknesses in the government’s case.

The prosecution must prove you acted with knowledge and intent. If the government cannot establish that you knew the money came from criminal activity, or if they cannot prove you intentionally participated in concealing its source, the charges may not survive. Your attorney challenges the government’s evidence by questioning the reliability of financial records, the accuracy of expert analysis, and the validity of the investigation methods used to obtain the evidence.

Procedural violations during investigation can also provide grounds for dismissal. If law enforcement conducted illegal searches, obtained evidence without proper warrants, or violated your constitutional rights, your attorney moves to suppress that evidence. Without the illegally obtained evidence, the prosecution’s case may collapse. This is why early legal intervention is critical.

Building Your Defense Case

Your defense strategy depends on the specific facts of your case. Common defense approaches include:

• Legitimate Source of Funds: You demonstrate that the money came from lawful sources—employment income, inheritance, business profits, or loans. If you can document the legitimate origin of the funds, the money laundering charges lose their foundation.
• Lack of Knowledge: You establish that you did not know the money came from criminal activity. If you received funds from someone you trusted, deposited them in good faith, or conducted transactions without awareness of their criminal origin, you may lack the knowledge element required for conviction.
• Insufficient Evidence of Willful Participation: You demonstrate that you did not intentionally participate in concealing the source of the funds. Perhaps you conducted routine banking transactions without understanding their connection to money laundering, or you relied on professional advisors who assured you the transactions were lawful.
• Negotiating Reduced Charges or Dismissal: Your criminal defense attorney works with prosecutors to negotiate favorable resolutions. This may involve reducing charges to lesser offenses, negotiating guilty pleas to specific counts in exchange for dismissal of others, or securing agreements regarding sentencing recommendations.

Why You Need an Experienced Money Laundering Defense Attorney

Money laundering charges carry severe consequences that extend far beyond immediate legal penalties. The complexity of financial crime investigations, combined with sophisticated federal regulations and prosecutorial resources, creates a challenging legal landscape that demands experienced representation from the moment you face investigation or charges.

Financial crimes like money laundering involve intricate transactions, multiple jurisdictions, and technical evidence that requires careful analysis. Federal prosecutors bring substantial resources to these cases, including forensic accountants, financial investigators, and specialized task forces. Without experienced counsel, you risk facing these powerful adversaries alone—a position that can result in devastating outcomes for your freedom, finances, and future.

Early legal intervention proves critical in money laundering cases. The moment you learn you are under investigation or receive notice of charges, contacting a criminal defense attorney in Cincinnati protects your constitutional rights and prevents you from making statements that could be used against you. Many individuals unknowingly compromise their defense by speaking with law enforcement without counsel present. An experienced attorney communicates with investigators on your behalf, ensuring your rights remain protected throughout the investigative phase.

How Can We Help

Your defense attorney serves as your advocate at every stage of the process. During the investigation, they work to identify procedural violations, challenge the legality of searches and seizures, and preserve evidence in your favor. If charges are filed, your attorney develops a comprehensive defense strategy tailored to the specific facts of your case. This may involve challenging the government’s evidence, negotiating with prosecutors for reduced charges, or preparing for trial if necessary.

Moreover, an experienced money laundering defense attorney understands the collateral consequences of conviction—consequences that often prove as damaging as the criminal penalties themselves. A conviction can result in permanent loss of professional licenses, employment termination, immigration consequences for non-citizens, asset forfeiture, and lasting damage to your reputation and family relationships.

How Moermond & Mulligan, LLC Defends Money Laundering Cases

At Moermond & Mulligan, LLC, we bring more than 50 years of combined criminal defense experience to every case we handle. Our founding attorneys, L. Patrick Mulligan and Brad Moermond, both served as prosecutors with the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office before establishing our firm in 1994. This prosecutorial background gives us insider knowledge of how the government builds financial crime cases—knowledge we use to develop aggressive defense strategies on behalf of our clients.

Patrick Mulligan holds Board Certification as a Criminal Law Specialist from the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a distinction earned by fewer than 24 lawyers in Ohio. Brad Moermond was recognized as a National Trial Lawyer Top 40 Under 40, reflecting his trial skills and dedication to client representation. Together with our team of experienced criminal defense attorneys—Lindsay Arway, Eric Buchakjian, and Emily Smith—we handle complex federal and state money laundering cases with the skill and dedication your case demands.

Our federal court experience proves invaluable in money laundering cases. We have represented clients in federal district courts throughout Ohio and beyond, handling complex federal financial crime matters with the procedural knowledge and courtroom skills federal litigation demands. We understand federal sentencing guidelines, federal discovery rules, and the specific challenges of federal prosecution.

What Can We Do For You

Our approach to money laundering defense begins with a thorough case evaluation. Our lawyers obtain and review all financial records, bank statements, transaction documentation, and investigative reports. We analyze the government’s evidence to identify weaknesses, procedural violations, and alternative explanations for the transactions in question. We consult with financial experts to challenge the prosecution’s forensic analysis and provide independent expert testimony if necessary.

Also, we develop strategic defense planning tailored to your specific situation. Whether your case involves structuring deposits, shell company transactions, trade-based laundering, or other money laundering scenarios, we craft a defense strategy designed to protect your rights and achieve the best possible outcome. We prepare for trial readiness while simultaneously exploring negotiated resolutions that may serve your interests better than trial.

Throughout the legal process, we provide comprehensive client support. Our lawyers explain the charges, the evidence, the potential consequences, and your options in clear, understandable language. We keep you informed at every stage, answer your questions, and ensure you understand the decisions you are making about your defense. We recognize that facing money laundering charges creates stress and uncertainty for you and your family, and we work to provide the guidance and support you need during this challenging time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Money Laundering Defense

Contact Moermond & Mulligan, LLC for Your Free Consultation

If you face money laundering charges or believe you are under investigation, contact Moermond & Mulligan, LLC immediately. The decisions you make in the early stages of your case can significantly impact the outcome. Our firm offers free consultations to discuss your situation, explain your rights, and outline your defense options.

Call us today at (513) 421-9790. Our Cincinnati office is located at 615 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Our attorneys are available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide the experienced criminal defense representation you need. Visit our case results page to see how we’ve previously helped clients facing serious charges.

Last Updated: 04-28-2026