Consequences of Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime

Being found guilty of money laundering carries serious consequences. Penalties include:

• Lengthy imprisonment.
• Seizure and forfeiture of property and bank accounts.
• Irreparable harm to reputation and business operations.

Additionally, under the Proceeds of Crime regime, federal authorities may initiate asset forfeiture proceedings, even before a person is convicted. If authorities suspect the money or property is linked to crime, they can freeze or seize it, triggering an aggressive legal battle over ownership and possession.

The Role of a Defence Lawyer in Crime Investigations

When facing allegations of laundering money, you need a skilled defence lawyer with experience in high-stakes crime investigations. Our lawyers act on behalf of clients during interviews with police, financial regulators, and federal prosecutors.

As your lawyer, we will:

• Challenge the admissibility of evidence.
• Evaluate the lawfulness of search warrant execution.
• Identify Charger violations in search and seizure.
• Work with forensic accountants to trace the flow of proceeds.

A strong defence begins with understanding the Crown’s obligation to prove the connection between the alleged funds and a predicate offence.

Asset Seizures and Forfeiture Defence

The government may attempt to seize assets and property they believe are derived from illegal proceeds. Our firm frequently represents clients in civil forfeiture proceedings, defending their ability to retain lawfully acquired money and accounts.

We also handle emergency injunctions and motions to lift restraining orders imposed on personal or business accounts, especially where the client’s services are at risk of disruption due to a pending investigation.

Cross-Border and International Allegations

Cross-border transactions often attract enhanced scrutiny under anti-money laundering and anti terrorist financing regimes. We have experience with cases involving international transfer of funds, offshore accounts, and parallel investigations in foreign jurisdictions.

International cooperation between Canada and other countries, through treaties and financial intelligence sharing, can lead to complex, multinational money laundering cases. Our team is equipped to respond to mutual legal assistance requests and cross-border evidence collection.

Business and Professional Accusations

Professionals such as accountants, lawyers, real estate agents, and directors of corporations may face allegations of facilitating or failing to prevent money laundering through their services. In some cases, entire organizations come under scrutiny for internal failures in monitoring

We advise and represent professionals before regulatory bodies, including the Law Society, and help businesses strengthen their compliance programs to mitigate risks of criminal exposure.

Suspicious Transactions and Financial Records

A report of a suspicious transaction can initiate a full-scale investigation. Many such reports arise from automated monitoring by financial institutions or money services businesses, often based on incomplete or misunderstood transactions.

Our role as defence lawyers includes evaluating the basis of these reports, challenging the legitimacy of the suspicion, and ensuring that clients are not wrongly implicated in crime cases due to flawed assumptions or weak evidence.

Charter Challenges to Search and Seizure

Searches of homes, offices, and bank accounts are common in money laundering cases. However, such searches must comply with Charter protections under Canadian law.

We assess whether the police followed legal rules during the execution of warrants, and we seek to have unlawfully obtained evidence excluded. Upholding your human rights and legal protections is central to our defence strategy.

Strategic Defence in Complex Financial Investigations

High-value money laundering cases often involve vast amounts of money, multiple parties, and voluminous financial records. Our firm works with forensic experts and applies detailed legal analysis to dissect each aspect of the investigation.

We handle cases involving:

• Cryptocurrency laundering.
• Corporate services used to hide proceeds.
• Unusual transactions between related entities.

Our in-depth review process enables us to prepare a tailored and aggressive defence focused on securing a favourable outcome for our clients.