Help me figure out how my black market arms dealer laundered his money?

[nyxelestia]

Setting is contemporary New York City (Queens/Queens-based), and trying to research money laundering has left me more confused than when I started. There's a reason I'm not an accountant.Very specifically, the setting is that of Spider-Man: Homecoming, and the character in question is Adrian Toomes/the Vulture

Comments

[seizansha]

I'd hinted at a method in a Hitman Reborn(mafia manga/anime) fanfic i wrote. They used a convienence store to replace and spread the cash out throughout the city. Put the dirty money in the register so every rime someone fets change it walks out the door with them.

You could also have him buying little things and paying with big bills: i.e. $100 bill to by a coffee.

[nyxelestia]

Wait, how would paying for little things with big bills launder the money? I get how that "legitimizes" forged bills, but not illegally-gained ones.

[seizansha]

It spreads out the money so that tracing the serial numbers on the bills doesn't lead back to one location.

[seizansha]

It spreads out the bills so that tracing their serial numbers doesnt lead back to the same location. For example, $2000 in marked bills would be harder to trace if they where found in hundreds of locations instead of one.

[nyxelestia]

Hence my confusion - I see how this launders forged money, I don't see how this launders real (but illegally earned) money.

[seizansha]

that's why i referred to marked bills; banks, cops or other authorities will make a list of bills by their serial number and trace them. kidnappers and other extortionists ask for unmarked bills so they can't be traced to where they are.

even so, it's still criminals buying the goods, so it's dirty money anyway.