Penal Law § 470.21

Money laundering in support of terrorism in the fourth degree · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 470.21 Money laundering in support of terrorism in the fourth degree.

A person is guilty of money laundering in support of terrorism in the fourth degree when:

1. Knowing that the property involved in one or more financial transactions represents either the proceeds of an act of terrorism as defined in subdivision one of section 490.05 of this part, or a monetary instrument given, received or intended to be used to support a violation of article four hundred ninety of this part:

(a) he or she conducts one or more such financial transactions which in fact involve either the proceeds of an act of terrorism as defined in subdivision one of section 490.05 of this part, or a monetary instrument given, received or intended to be used to support a violation of article four hundred ninety of this part:

(i) With intent to:

(A) promote the carrying on of criminal conduct; or

(B) engage in conduct constituting a felony as set forth in section eighteen hundred three, eighteen hundred four, eighteen hundred five, or eighteen hundred six of the tax law; or

(ii) Knowing that the transaction or transactions in whole or in part are designed to:

(A) conceal or disguise the nature, the location, the source, the ownership or the control of either the proceeds of an act of terrorism as defined in subdivision one of section 490.05 of this part, or a monetary instrument given, received or intended to be used to support a violation of article four hundred ninety of this part; or

(B) avoid any transaction reporting requirement imposed by law; and

(b) the total value of the property involved in such financial transaction or transactions exceeds one thousand dollars; or

2. Knowing that one or more monetary instruments represents either the proceeds of an act of terrorism as defined in subdivision one of section 490.05 of this part, or a monetary instrument given, received or intended to be used to support a violation of article four hundred ninety of this part:

(a) he or she transports, transmits, or transfers on one or more occasions, monetary instruments which in fact represent either the proceeds of an act of terrorism as defined in subdivision one of section 490.05 of this part, or a monetary instrument given, received or intended to be used to support a violation of article four hundred ninety of this part:

(i) With intent to promote the carrying on of criminal conduct; or

(ii) Knowing that such transportation, transmittal, or transfer is designed in whole or in part to:

(A) conceal or disguise the nature, the location, the source, the ownership, or the control of either the proceeds of an act of terrorism as defined in subdivision one of section 490.05 of this part, or a monetary instrument given, received or intended to be used to support a violation of article four hundred ninety of this part; or

(B) avoid any transaction reporting requirement imposed by law; and

(b) the total value of such monetary instrument or instruments exceeds two thousand dollars; or

3. He or she conducts one or more financial transactions:

(a) involving property represented to be either the proceeds of an act of terrorism as defined in subdivision one of section 490.05 of this part, or a monetary instrument given, received or intended to be used to support a violation of article four hundred ninety of this part, with intent to:

(i) promote the carrying on of specified criminal conduct; or

(ii) conceal or disguise the nature, the location, the source, the ownership or the control of property believed to be either the proceeds of an act of terrorism as defined in subdivision one of section 490.05 of this part, or a monetary instrument given, received or intended to be used to support a violation of article four hundred ninety of this part; or

(iii) avoid any transaction reporting requirement imposed by law; and

(b) the total value of the property involved in such financial transaction or transactions exceeds two thousand dollars.

Money laundering in support of terrorism in the fourth degree is a class E felony.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/470.21

In plain English

A person commits fourth-degree money laundering in support of terrorism by knowingly dealing with terrorism proceeds or support funds in any of these ways:

(1) Conducting transactions to promote criminal conduct, commit one of the named tax felonies, conceal the property, or avoid reporting, when the actual property exceeds $1,000. ★
(2) Transporting, transmitting, or transferring the instruments to promote criminal conduct, conceal the property, or avoid reporting, when they exceed $2,000.
(3) Conducting transactions with property represented as terrorism proceeds or support funds, intending to promote specified criminal conduct, conceal the property, or avoid reporting, when its represented value exceeds $2,000.

The offense is a class E felony. ★

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 4 — The Court Clerk: Penal Law; Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 3 — The Court Officer: Penal Law; Volume 3 — Your Career: Penal Law in Plain English.