RICO & Money Laundering Investigations

Most investigators build a strong case on the underlying crime, narcotics distribution, organized fraud, property crime, and stop there. Without R.I.C.O. (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) or Money Laundering charges layered on top, agencies leave significant cash and asset forfeitures on the table, and prosecutors lose the leverage that comes from charging the full scope of a criminal enterprise rather than a single predicate offense.

This course equips investigators to recognize, build, and prosecute R.I.C.O. and Money Laundering cases with confidence. Students gain practical, applicable knowledge on tracing illicit funds, freezing accounts, seizing assets, and packaging a complete financial case for a State or District Attorney.

Taught by Christopher Hersey, CFE, Senior Special Agent with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General, this interactive 4-hour class walks investigators from statute to courtroom: how to identify a R.I.C.O. or Money Laundering case, apply the correct charges, and build a case file that holds up under prosecutorial and defense scrutiny.

What You Will Learn

• Recognize and properly identify R.I.C.O. and Money Laundering cases within the broader context of financial, narcotics, property, and organized crime investigations, and understand when these statutes strengthen an existing case.

• Review the specific state and federal statutes governing R.I.C.O. and Money Laundering charges, including the elements prosecutors must prove and how these charges interact with underlying predicate offenses.

• Examine real-world case studies covering the range of R.I.C.O. and Money Laundering schemes investigators encounter, from organized fraud rings to large-scale narcotics trafficking operations.

• Learn "follow the money" techniques for tracing illicit funds through bank accounts, shell companies, and layered transactions, and use Excel as a practical investigative tool for organizing financial evidence.

• Develop strategies for organizing complex, multi-subject investigations and building a case file that withstands prosecutorial and defense scrutiny.

• Build confidence analyzing financial records, bank statements, and transaction patterns to identify indicators of laundering and racketeering activity.

• Understand the legal process for freezing bank accounts and seizing assets tied to criminal enterprises, including the notification requirements investigators must follow.

• Study forfeiture law in depth, covering both criminal and civil forfeiture pathways and the documentation required to preserve seized assets through prosecution.

• Explore the role of FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) in supporting investigations, including how to request and use FinCEN data and Suspicious Activity Reports.

• Prepare a complete R.I.C.O. or Money Laundering case for presentation to a State or District Attorney, including how to package financial evidence for charging decisions.

Who Should Attend This advanced course is designed for investigators and analysts handling financial, narcotics, property, and organized crime cases, including detectives assigned to economic crime units, financial crimes task forces, narcotics and organized crime units, and asset forfeiture programs. It is equally valuable for command staff overseeing these units and for any sworn or non-sworn member of the criminal justice community who reviews or builds cases involving concealed assets or illicit proceeds. Agencies that send investigators gain the ability to identify R.I.C.O. and Money Laundering charges earlier in an investigation, strengthen prosecutions with additional charges, and recover significant cash and assets through forfeiture.

Your Instructor Christopher Hersey, CFE, is a Senior Special Agent with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General, where he investigates fraud, waste, and abuse of Treasury systems and programs, including pandemic relief fraud cases coordinated across the country. Chris has spent 25 years in law enforcement, beginning his career in 1997 as a Patrol Officer and Detective with the Huntersville, North Carolina Police Department. In 2003, he joined the United States Secret Service as a Special Agent in the Miami Field Office, where he investigated a range of financial crimes as part of the South Florida Organized Fraud Task Force before transferring to the Vice Presidential Protection Division in Washington, DC. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and teaches financial crimes investigation at Palm Beach State College, bringing both frontline federal casework and academic instruction to this course.

Cost $199 per person.

Payment Options Credit card online, purchase order, or check. Invoice will be generated prior to class but is not due before. Checks payable to Training Force USA, 7769 McClure Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32312.

Cancellations and Substitutions Registrations are confirmed upon submission and participants are responsible for payment regardless of attendance. Substitutions are welcome at any time by phone, email, or online. If minimum enrollment is not met, the class will transition to an on-demand format and all registered participants will be notified. A full refund is also available.

Questions Phone: 850-556-4544 | Email: contactus@trainingforceusa.com | www.trainingforceusa.com