A 2014 media investigation uncovered the fact that foreign investors or LLCs were buying up condos in Manhattan, according to The Week. In fact, they purchased nearly a third of the condos in larger area developments between 2008 and 2014. The U.S. Treasury Department began tracking real estate sales to unknown foreign investors in 2016 for just the Miami-Dade County and Manhattan areas. In just a few months, investigators determined that more than one-fourth of all cash transactions for luxury apartments were suspicious and widened the scope of the investigation.

Along with the attraction of having valuable holdings in one of the world’s foremost cities, these foreign investors are attracted to the New York market because of the potential to launder money. What’s more, they are being advised by high-profile, American attorneys about how to move questionable money into the U.S. That advice? Buy New York real estate.

FindLaw defines money laundering, a federal crime, as financial transactions using proceeds from criminal activities. It is a method of hiding the ownership, location, source or control of money from these operations. After laundering, it appears to have come from legitimate sources.

If you are being investigated or have been charged with money laundering, defenses can include:

• Not knowing the source or nature of the money
• Not intending to support or take park in crimes
• Not trying to hide the source of the money
• Entrapment by law enforcement representatives

To be found guilty of money laundering, the accused must make financial transactions with the knowledge that the funds involved are criminal proceeds. Transactions include wire transfers, sales, deposits, loans, title transfers and more.

This article on money laundering is general in nature. It should not replace the advice of an attorney.

If you are pulled over by a law enforcement officer on suspicion of drinking and driving, you may be asked to submit to a breath test. Roadside breath test devices are used by officers to determine whether you are driving with a blood alcohol content level that is over the legal limit. The problem lies in the fact that these devices do not always give reliable and accurate results. Some breath test devices may give readings that could falsely indicate you have a BAC that is over the legal limit, leading to an erroneous DUI charge.

Breath test devices are designed to measure the amount of alcohol contained in a breath sample. It then converts that amount to a blood alcohol content level. Research found that the amount of alcohol found in a breath test can be inflated by up to 15 percent from the actual amount of alcohol found in a person’s blood. This may partly be due to the fact that there are other factors that go into a breath test reading. For example, a study conducted by the State University of New York at Potsdam found that substances, such as environmental pollution, cigarette smoke, gasoline fumes and even residual food, blood and drink left in a person’s mouth can affect the breath test reading.

Other factors, including the temperature and humidity of the air, whether the breath test device has been accurately calibrated or if the law enforcement officer is using the device correctly, may also pay a part in the overall reading.

This information is intended to educate and should not be taken as legal advice.

Many people in New York and across the United States have turned to using prescription narcotics for recreational purposes. Fentanyl, a narcotic pain-reliever, is just one of the many types of drugs that are being smuggled in Mexico’s drug trade. Since fentanyl is cheaper to make then heroin, drug traffickers have started pushing these to drug users as a way to increase their profit margin. In 2017 alone, the amount of fentanyl seized from drug operations increased from 35 to 491 pounds. In addition, more than 1,400 people in New York City alone died from fatal fentanyl overdoses.

A New York man was apprehended for drug trafficking as a major member of a Mexican drug ring transporting fentanyl over the border using trucks, couriers and cars. The Drug Enforcement Administration indicted the 41-year old man after an incident where they seized 44 pounds of fentanyl from him in 2017. An undercover law enforcement officer posing as a drug dealer lured the drug trafficker to New York City. When he met the undercover agent to pick up a payment from a drug deal, the officer arrested him.

When people face criminal charges, they often need the assistance of a dedicated attorney. People who are found guilty of committing a crime face a wide-range of penalties, which can affect the rest of their lives. An experienced attorney may act as an advocate to those who need representation when going through the legal process.

Source: Herald & Review, “Alleged drug trafficker charged in smuggling from Mexico,” Tom Hays, Mar 27, 2018.