TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 95 - RACKETEERING
HEAD
Sec. 1957. Engaging in monetary transactions in property derived
from specified unlawful activity
STATUTE
(a) Whoever, in any of the circumstances set forth in subsection
(d), knowingly engages or attempts to engage in a monetary
transaction in criminally derived property of a value greater than
$10,000 and is derived from specified unlawful activity, shall be
punished as provided in subsection (b).
(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the punishment for an
offense under this section is a fine under title 18, United States
Code, or imprisonment for not more than ten years or both.
(2) The court may impose an alternate fine to that imposable
under paragraph (1) of not more than twice the amount of the
criminally derived property involved in the transaction.
(c) In a prosecution for an offense under this section, the
Government is not required to prove the defendant knew that the
offense from which the criminally derived property was derived was
specified unlawful activity.
(d) The circumstances referred to in subsection (a) are -
(1) that the offense under this section takes place in the
United States or in the special maritime and territorial
jurisdiction of the United States; or
(2) that the offense under this section takes place outside the
United States and such special jurisdiction, but the defendant is
a United States person (as defined in section 3077 of this title,
but excluding the class described in paragraph (2)(D) of such
section).
(e) Violations of this section may be investigated by such
components of the Department of Justice as the Attorney General may
direct, and by such components of the Department of the Treasury as
the Secretary of the Treasury may direct, as appropriate, and, with
respect to offenses over which the Department of Homeland Security
has jurisdiction, by such components of the Department of Homeland
Security as the Secretary of Homeland Security may direct, and,
with respect to offenses over which the United States Postal
Service has jurisdiction, by the Postal Service. Such authority of
the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security,
and the Postal Service shall be exercised in accordance with an
agreement which shall be entered into by the Secretary of the
Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Postal Service,
and the Attorney General.
(f) As used in this section -
(1) the term "monetary transaction" means the deposit,
withdrawal, transfer, or exchange, in or affecting interstate or
foreign commerce, of funds or a monetary instrument (as defined
in section 1956(c)(5) of this title) by, through, or to a
financial institution (as defined in section 1956 of this title),
including any transaction that would be a financial transaction
under section 1956(c)(4)(B) of this title, but such term does not
include any transaction necessary to preserve a person's right to
representation as guaranteed by the sixth amendment to the
Constitution;
(2) the term "criminally derived property" means any property
constituting, or derived from, proceeds obtained from a criminal
offense; and
(3) the term "specified unlawful activity" has the meaning
given that term in section 1956 of this title.
SOURCE
(Added Pub. L. 99-570, title I, Sec. 1352(a), Oct. 27, 1986, 100
Stat. 3207-21; amended Pub. L. 100-690, title VI, Secs. 6182, 6184,
6469(a)(2), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4354, 4377; Pub. L. 102-550,
title XV, Secs. 1526(b), 1527(b), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4065;
Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330020, Sept. 13, 1994, 108
Stat. 2149; Pub. L. 103-325, title IV, Sec. 413(c)(2), Sept. 23,
1994, 108 Stat. 2255; Pub. L. 109-177, title IV, Sec. 403(c)(2),
Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 243.)
AMENDMENTS
2006 - Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109-177 amended subsec. (e)
generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (e) read as follows:
"Violations of this section may be investigated by such components
of the Department of Justice as the Attorney General may direct,
and by such components of the Department of the Treasury as the
Secretary of the Treasury may direct, as appropriate and, with
respect to offenses over which the United States Postal Service has
jurisdiction, by the Postal Service. Such authority of the
Secretary of the Treasury and the Postal Service shall be exercised
in accordance with an agreement which shall be entered into by the
Secretary of the Treasury, the Postal Service, and the Attorney
General."
1994 - Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330020, and Pub. L.
103-325, Sec. 413(c)(2), amended par. (1) identically, striking out
second comma after "(as defined in section 1956 of this title)".
1992 - Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 102-550 substituted "section 1956
of this title" for "section 5312 of title 31" and inserted ",
including any transaction that would be a financial transaction
under section 1956(c)(4)(B) of this title," before "but such term
does not include".
1988 - Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 100-690, Sec. 6469(a)(2), substituted
"and, with respect to offenses over which the United States Postal
Service has jurisdiction, by the Postal Service. Such authority of
the Secretary of the Treasury and the Postal Service shall be
exercised in accordance with an agreement which shall be entered
into by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Postal Service, and the
Attorney General." for ". Such authority of the Secretary of the
Treasury shall be exercised in accordance with an agreement which
shall be entered into by the Secretary of the Treasury and the
Attorney General."
Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 100-690, Secs. 6182, 6184, substituted
"in section 1956(c)(5) of this title" for "for the purposes of
subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31" and inserted ", but such
term does not include any transaction necessary to preserve a
person's right to representation as guaranteed by the sixth
amendment to the Constitution".
Transactional Records Access
Clearinghouse, Syracuse University
Copyright 2010