Knowledge hub · Financial crimes defense
Texas and Federal Financial Crimes Defense
Bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering: explore the charges, evidence, and related defense guides.
Explore the three defense guides
Bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering can appear in the same case. They are separate charges, and prosecutors must prove the elements of each one. This hub explains federal bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1344, wire fraud under § 1343, and money laundering under §§ 1956–1957. It also covers related Texas charges, including money laundering under Penal Code Chapter 34.
Texas does not have a general bank fraud or wire fraud offense with the same name and elements as the federal statutes. Examine a state charge under the language of the Texas statute. Several transfers in an account history do not, by themselves, establish several crimes.
What each guide covers
Pillar article · Bank fraud
Federal Bank Fraud and Related Texas Financial Crimes
Start with the two clauses of § 1344 and the institution or property involved. The guide explains intent and materiality, then examines loan files, account records, and related offenses under Texas Penal Code Chapter 32.
Pillar article · Money laundering
Federal and Texas Money Laundering Defense
Follow the money from the alleged unlawful activity to the charged transaction. It examines knowledge, promotion, concealment, and reporting avoidance. Separate sections address § 1957’s threshold and Texas § 34.02. It also explains tracing, merger, forfeiture, and sentencing.
Pillar article · Wire fraud
Federal Wire Fraud and Related Texas Fraud Offenses
Examine the alleged scheme to obtain money or property, the material misrepresentation, and fraudulent intent. Then look at the interstate communication: who caused it, and how was it used? The guide also addresses conspiracy, digital evidence, and limits set by recent Supreme Court decisions.
Knowledge hub · Federal bank fraud
Federal Bank Fraud Defense in Texas: Charges, Evidence, Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Trial
A charge map for § 1344 cases, the records that often decide them, and how wire fraud and money laundering counts are added to the same transactions.
Practice areas · Representation
Talk to Heath Hyde about a specific charge
Each practice page explains the investigation and charge stages Heath Hyde handles and how a first consultation works.
Compare the charges
|
Question |
Bank fraud |
Money laundering |
Wire fraud |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Principal federal provision |
18 U.S.C. § 1344 |
18 U.S.C. §§ 1956, 1957 |
18 U.S.C. § 1343 |
|
Central proof issue |
Scheme targeting a covered financial institution or obtaining bank-controlled property by false pretenses |
Criminal proceeds, a qualifying transaction, and the purpose or threshold required by the charged provision |
Property-focused fraudulent scheme and interstate wire used to execute it |
|
Timing focus |
False representation and obtaining bank property |
Did the alleged criminal proceeds exist before this transaction? |
Did this particular transmission help carry out the alleged scheme? |
|
Texas comparison |
Depending on the conduct alleged: §§ 31.03, 32.21, 32.31, 32.32, 32.45, or 32.51 |
Texas Penal Code §§ 34.01–34.02 |
Depending on the conduct alleged: Texas theft, fraud, computer, or identity offenses |
|
Related charges and remedies |
§ 1349 conspiracy, false statements, wire fraud, laundering |
Predicate fraud, § 1956(h) conspiracy, § 1957, forfeiture |
Bank fraud, § 1349 conspiracy, laundering, identity offenses |
An example involving several charges
Consider a company accused of submitting a false borrowing-base certificate to an insured bank. The company receives a loan, emails revised financial statements to a lender, then sends some of the money to an affiliate.
Counsel would first separate the events by charge. Which conduct is alleged to be the bank fraud scheme under § 1344, and what bank property is involved? Which interstate communication allegedly helped carry out the property-fraud scheme under § 1343? For a laundering count under § 1956 or § 1957, identify the alleged criminal proceeds and the charged transaction. That count requires proof of the additional elements of its particular statute.
Put those events in date order and identify the disputed statements and property. The timing can matter: a transfer that completes an alleged fraud presents a different question from a later transfer of its proceeds. Counsel must still examine the laundering elements even if fraud is proved. A repayment also needs to be considered in context; it does not, on its own, settle intent, loss, or restitution.
Information to gather for counsel
Start with what prompted the call: an arrest, a subpoena, a search, or a seizure. Give counsel the next deadline and explain any related civil, regulatory, or state matter. If investigators have identified someone as a target or subject, pass that information along too.
Identify who controlled the accounts, where the money came from, and who received it. Find out which records still exist. When a company and its employees are involved, counsel must also check who represents whom and address conflicts and privilege. Preserve emails in their native format, along with accounting records, messages, and devices. Collect them lawfully and document how they were obtained.
Keep the records intact. Do not delete or change them, move funds to obstruct the process, or coordinate witness accounts. Counsel needs the indictment or target letter to compare the allegations with what the statute requires. The government still has to prove its case.
Statutes and court decisions
- Loughrin v. United States, 573 U.S. 351 (2014); Shaw v. United States, 580 U.S. 63 (2016); Ciminelli v. United States, 598 U.S. 306 (2023); Kousisis v. United States (2025).
Related resources
To discuss representation, contact Heath Hyde or call 903-439-0000. Representation begins only after the firm agrees to take the matter.