German Attorney Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering
Eastern District of New York, 24 March 2021
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Henning Schwarzkopf, a citizen of Germany and an attorney licensed to practice in Germany, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr., to money laundering by transferring funds that he believed to be the proceeds of a securities fraud scheme through the bank account of a Hong Kong shell company controlled by the defendant. Schwarzkopf was arrested on a criminal complaint in October 2020. When sentenced, Schwarzkopf faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as forfeiture and a fine of up to $250,000.
Mark J. Lesko, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“Schwarzkopf brazenly plotted to launder over $1 million in funds that he believed had been stolen from investors trading in the securities markets,” stated Acting United States Attorney Lesko. “This Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously prosecute and hold accountable corrupt lawyers like the defendant who abuse their specialized knowledge to commit crimes.” Mr. Lesko thanked the Hamburg, Germany State Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Hamburg, Germany Prosecution Service, and the Monaco Police Department Criminal Division for their assistance during the investigation.
