Someone showed up asking questions about your business. Or a call came in saying investigators want to talk to you. You are thinking about your employees. Your family. Whether the business you spent years building is about to disappear.
Those fears are real, and they deserve a straight answer, not a lecture on the law.
Jeffrey S. Weiner has defended federal criminal cases in the Southern District of Florida for more than 50 years, and he has argued a case before the United States Supreme Court.
Call Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A. today at (305) 670-9919 to talk through what is actually happening in your case and what your real options are.
| BOARD CERTIFIED CRIMINAL TRIAL LAWYER, NATIONAL BOARD OF TRIAL ADVOCACIES | ARGUED BEFORE THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT | FORMER PRESIDENT, NACDL | 50+ YEARS OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE WORK |
Unlicensed money transmission charges under 18 U.S.C. § 1960 show up in more places than most business owners expect, and the businesses caught in these investigations rarely look like a stereotypical criminal enterprise. Whether the government’s case centers on a licensing gap, a registration failure, or a broader conspiracy theory, the strategy has to be built around the specific charge you are facing. Charges may include:
We represent clients across the full range of these cases in Miami and throughout the Southern District of Florida.
Our attorneys have tried cases in more than 25 states and argued before the Florida Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. Wherever your case stands right now, we've likely stood there before — with a client's freedom on the line.
Call Us Today 305-670-9919
A conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 1960 carries up to five years in federal prison per count and a fine of up to $250,000. You may face multiple counts. In Miami, cases built on unlicensed money transmission often arrive bundled with money laundering or conspiracy charges, which raises the sentencing exposure well beyond what the base statute allows on its own.
Along with prison time, the government routinely seeks forfeiture of the money, bank accounts, and property connected to the business, sometimes before you are ever convicted of anything. Banks close accounts without warning. State licensing boards start asking questions. Business partners and clients walk away the moment the word investigation reaches them.
What happens to your company, your employees, and your name if this becomes public before you have a defense in place? We build that defense early, before the exposure has a chance to grow.
Federal sentencing guidelines assign a base offense level to unlicensed money transmission cases. That number moves up quickly based on the dollar amount involved and the number of people connected to the business. A case involving millions of dollars looks very different on paper than one involving a small local operation, even under the same statute.
1. We review the specific subsection of 18 U.S.C. § 1960 the government is using against you and identify exactly what it requires prosecutors to prove.
2. We challenge whether you knowingly operated as a money transmitting business.
3. We contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida directly, before an indictment is filed, whenever that door is still open to us.
4. We fight forfeiture claims against your business accounts, real estate, and any other assets the government wants to freeze or seize, as appropriate.
5. We build a sentencing strategy aimed at probation instead of prison, if necessary.
Every one of these steps starts as early as we are given the chance to start it, which is often a significant factor in how a case ends.
If federal agents or FinCEN investigators have already reached out, or if you received a subpoena or a target letter, what you do in the next few days matters more than almost anything else in the case. Don’t try to clear things up by explaining your business, your bookkeeping, or your intentions to an agent. Federal agents are collecting statements to use later, not offering you a chance to talk your way out of an investigation.
The right move is to say that you want to speak with an attorney before answering any questions, and then make that call immediately. Every day that passes without a defense in place is a day the government spends building its case without anyone pushing back. We step in at this stage often, before charges are ever filed, and that early involvement is frequently what keeps a case from becoming an indictment at all.
Federal charges under 18 U.S.C. § 1960 in Miami are heard at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse, 400 North Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33128, home to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Grand jury proceedings, arraignments, and trials for money transmission cases in this district run through that courthouse.
The Southern District of Florida is one of the busiest federal districts in the country for financial crime prosecutions. Miami’s role as a major hub for international wire transfers, remittance businesses, and cross-border cash movement is a large reason why. That volume means federal agents and prosecutors here investigate and charge unlicensed money transmission cases more often than in most parts of the country, and they build these cases accordingly.
Jeffrey Weiner has appeared in the Southern District of Florida for more than 50 years, has represented clients throughout Miami-Dade County in federal financial crime cases, and served as President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. His experience gives him insight into how federal prosecutors nationwide approach unlicensed money transmission cases.
Investigations in this district are often opened by the FBI’s Miami Field Office or IRS Criminal Investigation long before a case ever reaches the courthouse, which means the defense work usually starts before an indictment is filed.
18 U.S.C. § 1960 makes it a federal crime to knowingly operate a money transmitting business without the license or registration the law requires. In plain terms, if you moved money for others in a way that federal or state law says needs a license, and you did not have one, prosecutors can charge you under this statute even if you never intended to break any law.
A conviction carries up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000, and the statute does not require the government to prove you knew a license was legally required. That single fact surprises many clients we meet.
Some unlicensed money transmission cases also involve civil penalties from FinCEN in addition to the criminal charge, which can affect a business long after the federal case itself is resolved.
Last Updated: This reflects federal law as of July 2026.
Serving Criminal Defense Clients for Over 50 Years
It makes it a federal crime to operate a money transmitting business without the state license or federal registration the law requires. The government does not have to show you meant to break the law, only that the business was unlicensed and moved money across state or international lines.
FinCEN is the federal agency that requires certain money services businesses to register under the Bank Secrecy Act. Failing to register with FinCEN is one of the specific ways prosecutors bring charges under this statute, separate from any state licensing issue.
Yes. Federal prosecutors have used 18 U.S.C. § 1960 against cryptocurrency businesses that moved digital assets for others without the state licenses or FinCEN registration the law treats the same way as traditional money transmission.
Unlicensed money transmission is about operating without the required license or registration, while money laundering requires the government to prove the money came from criminal activity. Prosecutors may charge both together in the same federal case if there is sufficient evidence to bring charges for both crimes.
Federal cases in Miami go through the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, based at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. United States Courthouse on North Miami Avenue.
Often, yes. Forfeiture is common in these cases and can reach bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, and other property connected to the business, which is why we address it as early as possible.
It depends on the specific facts. We build sentencing strategies aimed at avoiding federal prison, though the outcome always depends on the unique facts of your case.
Say nothing about the business, the transactions, or your intentions, and call a federal criminal defense attorney immediately. What you say to an agent before charges are filed can shape the entire case against you.
These investigations often run for months or years before an indictment, since agents build the financial trail before making an arrest, which is also why getting legal help before charges are filed can change the outcome.
Cost depends heavily on where your case stands. A pre-indictment case where we can intervene before charges are filed is a different scope of work than a multi-defendant federal trial with forfeiture proceedings attached. Factors that typically drive the fee include the dollar amount involved, whether the government has already filed charges, how many co-defendants are in the case, and whether forfeiture or parallel civil FinCEN penalties are also on the table.
You need an attorney who knows the Southern District of Florida and the specific prosecutors and judges here, even if your business operates elsewhere, since that is where a Miami based investigation will ultimately be charged and heard.
If any of this sounds like your situation, the next right step is a conversation with an experienced Miami unlicensed money transmission criminal defense lawyer. Now is not the time to guess about what actions you should take to protect your business, freedom, and reputation.
You do not have to figure out a federal unlicensed money transmission charge on your own. Jeffrey S. Weiner has spent more than 50 years defending clients in federal court in Miami, including cases like these.
If you are facing criminal charges or under investigation in South Florida, do not wait. Call Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A. at (305) 670-9919 — available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Free initial consultations. All communications are confidential.
You may call our office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are always ready to consult with you, whether
by telephone consultation, a meeting in our office, or a visit if you are incarcerated. All communications
are confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege.
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