2C:21-25 Money laundering, illegal investment, crime.
3.A person is guilty of a crime if the person:
a.transports or possesses property known or which a reasonable person would believe to be derived from criminal activity; or
b.engages
in a transaction involving property known or which a reasonable person
would believe to be derived from criminal activity
(1)with the intent to facilitate or promote the criminal activity; or
(2)knowing that the transaction is designed in whole or in part:
(a)to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership or control of the property derived from criminal activity; or
(b)to avoid a transaction reporting requirement under the laws of this State or any other state or of the United States; or
c.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.
d.For
the purposes of this act, property is known to be derived from criminal
activity if the person knows that the property involved represents
proceeds from some form, though not necessarily which form, of criminal
activity. Among the factors that the finder of fact may consider in
determining that a transaction has been designed to avoid a transaction
reporting requirement shall be whether the person, acting alone or with
others, conducted one or more transactions in currency, in any amount,
at one or more financial institutions, on one or more days, in any
manner. The phrase in any manner includes the breaking down of a single
sum of currency exceeding the transaction reporting requirement into
smaller sums, including sums at or below the transaction reporting
requirement, or the conduct of a transaction, or series of currency
transactions, including transactions at or below the transaction
reporting requirement. The transaction or transactions need not exceed
the transaction reporting threshold at any single financial institution
on any single day in order to demonstrate a violation of subparagraph
(b) of paragraph (2) of subsection b. of this section.
e.A
person is guilty of a crime if, with the purpose to evade a transaction
reporting requirement of this State or of 31 U.S.C. s.5311 et seq. or
31 C.F.R. s.103 et seq., or any rules or regulations adopted under those
chapters and sections, he:
(1)causes
or attempts to cause a financial institution, including a foreign or
domestic money transmitter or an authorized delegate thereof, casino,
check casher, person engaged in a trade or business or any other
individual or entity required by State or federal law to file a report
regarding currency transactions or suspicious transactions to fail to
file a report; or
(2)causes
or attempts to cause a financial institution, including a foreign or
domestic money transmitter or an authorized delegate thereof, casino,
check casher, person engaged in a trade or business or any other
individual or entity required by State or federal law to file a report
regarding currency transactions or suspicious transactions to file a
report that contains a material omission or misstatement of fact; or
(3)structures
or assists in structuring, or attempts to structure or assist in
structuring any transaction with one or more financial institutions,
including foreign or domestic money transmitters or an authorized
delegate thereof, casinos, check cashers, persons engaged in a trade or
business or any other individuals or entities required by State or
federal law to file a report regarding currency transactions or
suspicious transactions. Structure or structuring means that a person,
acting alone, or in conjunction with, or on behalf of, other persons,
conducts or attempts to conduct one or more transactions in currency, in
any amount, at one or more financial institutions, on one or more days,
in any manner, for the purpose of evading currency transaction
reporting requirements provided by State or federal law. In any manner
includes, but is not limited to, the breaking down into smaller sums of a
single sum of currency meeting or exceeding that which is necessary to
trigger a currency reporting requirement or the conduct of a
transaction, or series of currency transactions, at or below the
reporting requirement. The transaction or transactions need not exceed
the reporting threshold at any single financial institution on any
single day in order to meet the definition of structure or structuring
provided in this paragraph.
L.1994,c.121,s.3; amended 1999, c.25, s.3; 2002, c.26, s.14.