Churches, Temples, and Financial Crimes

This eye-opening volume examines ways in which religious institutions can be misused to mask illegal financial dealings, and steps law enforcement can take to combat these criminal activities. The chapters review legal rights and responsibilities of churches and the types of loopholes that can allow unscrupulous practices to flourish. This book offers local and global proposals for the study and practice of improving financial transparency for religious organizations, and assessing and curbing monetary crimes within their ranks. A sampling of criminal cases of financial wrongdoing by churches and temples spotlights the ingenuity involved in such scams as well as in the ongoing fight against them. Included in the coverage: • Religious freedom in the U.S. and Brazilian constitutional orders • Government regulation of religious organizations • Criminal investigations and cases involving financial crimes practiced by and through religious institutions • International religious activities and legal cooperation for repatriation of assets • Payments through illegal and disguised means, and the misuse of churches, temples, and charitable organizations •Proposals to improve the war against financial crimes within temples and churches Its unique subject matter and depth of information makes Churches, Temples, and Financial Crimes distinctly useful for professionals involved in efforts to curb this form of crime, particularly law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and judges.

Fausto Martin De Sanctis holds a Doctorate in Criminal Law from the University of São Paulo's School of Law (USP) and an advanced degree in Civil Procedure from the Federal University of Brasilia (UnB) in Brazil. He was a Public Defender in São Paulo from 1989-1990, and a State Court Judge, also in São Paulo, from 1990-1991, until he was appointed to the Federal Courts. He is currently a Federal Appellate Judge in Brazil's Federal Court for the Third Region, with jurisdiction over the states of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. He is also the Deputy Director of the Federal Judicial School and a member of the Portuguese Language Law Jurists Community (CJLP). Since 2013, he has been an Advisory Council Member for the Brazil-U.S. Legal and Judicial Studies Program at American University Washington College of Law. Judge De Sanctis was selected to handle a specialized federal court created in Brazil to exclusively hear complex cases involving financial crimes and money laundering offenses. He is a world known expert on this topic and has been invited to participate in programs and conferences both in Brazil as well as internationally. From April 2 to September 28, 2012, Judge De Sanctis was a fellow at Federal Judicial Center in Washington, DC.