Justices rule for defendant on money laundering

The AP reports:

The Supreme Court on Monday made it more difficult for prosecutors to prove international money laundering charges, an important weapon in the war against drugs and organized crime.

The unanimous decision came in the case of a man who was on his way to Mexico with over $80,000 concealed in a secret compartment of a car when he was arrested in Schleicher County, Texas.

Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas said that a money laundering case cannot be proven merely by showing that funds were concealed while being transported.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans had upheld Humberto Cuellar's money laundering conviction.

Money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and prosecutors often use it in drug and gambling cases.

Congress enacted the anti-money laundering law in 1986 after the President's Commission on Organized Crime highlighted the growing problem of "washing" criminal proceeds through overseas bank accounts and legitimate businesses.