- Legal Basis
- § 261 StGB
- Sentencing Range
- Imprisonment of up to five years or a fine
- Summary
- Concealing, disguising the origin of, or obstructing the tracing of an object originating from an unlawful act
Money Laundering (Section 261 German Criminal Code) – Criminal Defence Against Money Laundering Charges
Money laundering is a central economic offence that criminalises the introduction of illegally obtained assets into the legitimate economy. Since the comprehensive reform of 2021, the scope has been significantly expanded – any unlawful act can now serve as a predicate offence (the so-called all-crimes approach). For expats in Germany, particularly those in business or finance, understanding the breadth of this provision is essential.
Statutory Text – Section 261 StGB (Excerpt)
Paragraph 1: Whoever conceals an object originating from an unlawful act, disguises its origin, or obstructs or endangers the investigation of its origin, its discovery, confiscation, or seizure, shall be punished with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine.
Paragraph 2: The same applies to whoever acquires such an object for themselves or a third party, stores it, or uses it for themselves or a third party, if they knew of the object’s origin at the time of acquisition.
Paragraph 6: Whoever, in the cases of paragraphs 1 and 2, recklessly fails to recognise that the object originates from an unlawful act, shall be punished with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine.
Elements of the Offence in Detail
Object from an unlawful act: Since the 2021 reform, any unlawful act can be a predicate offence. The object must originate from the predicate offence – it must have been obtained directly or indirectly through the act.
Criminal acts: The law distinguishes concealment acts (para. 1: concealing, disguising origin, obstructing investigation) and acquisition acts (para. 2: acquiring, storing, using). Acquisition acts require knowledge of the illegal origin.
Recklessness: Reckless money laundering is also punishable (para. 6). Recklessness exists when the illegal origin of the object is virtually obvious and the offender ignores this.
Self-laundering: Since the reform, money laundering by the predicate offender themselves is also punishable, provided they introduce the incriminated object into commerce and thereby disguise its illegal origin.
Typical Methods of Commission
Money laundering occurs through depositing cash from criminal offences into bank accounts, using shell companies or front persons to disguise the origin of funds, purchasing real estate with incriminated funds, cryptocurrency transactions for anonymisation, smurfing (splitting large amounts into many small transactions), using hawala banking, and accepting suspicious payments in business dealings.
Sentencing Range
Intentional money laundering is punished with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine. In especially serious cases (commercial or gang-related commission), the penalty is imprisonment from six months to ten years. Reckless money laundering carries up to two years of imprisonment or a fine. Confiscated objects are subject to asset recovery.
Typical Defence Strategies
Defence against money laundering charges is regularly complex and requires specialised knowledge of white-collar criminal law. Central points of attack include whether an unlawful predicate offence can be proven, whether the object actually originates from this predicate offence, whether the accused knew of or recklessly ignored the illegal origin, and whether the specific criminal act meets the statutory requirements. Rechtsanwalt Bafteh has experience in defending complex white-collar criminal cases and develops a defence strategy tailored to the specific case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was ist Money Laundering?
Strafbar ist das Verbergen oder Verschleiern der Herkunft von Vermögensgegenständen aus rechtswidrigen Taten (§ 261 StGB). Seit 2021 ist grundsätzlich jede Vortat tauglich (sogenannter All-Crimes-Ansatz).
Genügt Leichtfertigkeit?
Ja, auch die leichtfertige Money Laundering ist strafbar. Häufig setzt die Verteidigung am fehlenden Vorsatz und an der Kenntnis der Herkunft an.
Welche Strafe droht?
Freiheitsstrafe bis zu fünf Jahren oder Geldstrafe, in besonders schweren Fällen mehr.
Muss ich zur Polizei, wenn ich als Beschuldigter vorgeladen werde?
Einer rein polizeilichen Police Summons müssen Sie als Beschuldigter nicht folgen, und Sie sind nie verpflichtet, sich zur Sache zu äußern. Einer Ladung der Staatsanwaltschaft oder des Gerichts sollten Sie folgen – schweigen dürfen Sie aber auch dort.
Sollte ich vor der Akteneinsicht aussagen?
In aller Regel nein. Ohne Kenntnis der Ermittlungsakte lässt sich nicht beurteilen, welche Beweise vorliegen. Eine Einlassung sollte erst nach Akteneinsicht und in Abstimmung mit dem Verteidiger erfolgen.
Kann ein Strafverfahren eingestellt werden?
Ja. Je nach Beweislage kommen eine Einstellung mangels hinreichenden Tatverdachts (§ 170 II StPO), wegen Geringfügigkeit (§ 153 StPO) oder gegen Auflagen (§ 153a StPO) in Betracht. Nach Akteneinsicht prüfen wir die Möglichkeiten.
Summons or accusation of Money Laundering? What matters now
Make no statement to the police at first
As an accused person you are never obliged to comment on the allegation. Anything said to the police can be used against you. Provide statements only through your defense attorney and only after reviewing the case file.
File inspection comes first
A sound defense against the allegation of Money Laundering requires knowledge of the investigation file. Only once the available evidence is clear can we decide whether a statement is advisable or whether remaining silent is the better strategy.
Possible discontinuation of proceedings
Not every case ends in a main hearing. Depending on the evidence and any prior record, the proceedings may be discontinued for lack of sufficient suspicion (§ 170 II StPO), for triviality (§ 153 StPO) or subject to conditions (§ 153a StPO). Often a penalty order without a public trial can be achieved.
Victim-offender mediation and restitution
In many cases, victim-offender mediation or making good the damage (§ 46a StGB) can significantly reduce the sentence or enable a discontinuation. Whether this is advisable in your case is something we assess based on the file.
What we do after reviewing the file
We examine the evidence for reliability and admissibility, look for procedural errors, develop the defense strategy, negotiate with the public prosecutor on a discontinuation and represent you, if necessary, in the main hearing before the District Court or Regional Court of Bonn.
Available 24/7: +49 228 504 463 36
This information does not replace a review of the individual case. In criminal proceedings, the defence strategy depends substantially on the case file, the specific allegation and the evidence.
Why BAFTEH Strafverteidigung?
- Direct contact with your defense attorney – no intermediaries
- Available around the clock, including nights and weekends
- Fast file inspection and a clear defense strategy
- Focused exclusively on criminal law
- Defense in Bonn, Cologne and the entire region
Written by attorney Philip Bafteh, criminal defense lawyer in Bonn. Philip Bafteh publishes regularly on criminal and commercial law and defends accused persons in investigative and trial proceedings.
More about the attorney →Last updated: Mai 2026
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