Economics
The Legal Definition and Prosecution of Money Laundering
Quick fact
The three-stage model of money laundering — placement, layering, and integration — is not a statute but a conceptual framework used by law enforcement to understand how illicit funds are legitimized, and proving intent often relies on circumstantial evidence such as unusual transaction patterns.
Why this is interesting
Imagine finding a suitcase full of cash dripping with illegal origins — how does the law make that money disappear legally?