Posts by Lee Koch
How Long Do The Feds Have to File Charges?
One thing that’s different about being investigated by the federal government is that you generally know you’re being investigated. You may know what specific crime the feds think you committed and you may not, but you usually get a letter letting you know that they’re taking a look at you and your activities. Even if…
Read MoreAre Gun Crimes Automatically Considered Federal Crimes?
Gun violence is on the rise in New York City. If you are a defendant accused of a gun crime, you could face both federal and state charges. Adding firearms to any other crime can also make the charges and likely sentence far more serious. New York itself has very strong gun laws. For example,…
Read MoreHow a New York Lawyer Defends Against Identity Theft Charges
It’s easy to get wrongfully accused of identity theft. Just ask the victims of identity theft that got accused of it when they tried to report it. When that happens, you’ll need an experienced attorney with a solid defense strategy. Since identity theft can be prosecuted at both the state level and the federal level,…
Read MoreDo Federal Cases Ever Get Dismissed?
The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure allow the government or the court to dismiss any indictment, information, or complaint. The specific law is written as follows: “The government may, with leave of court, dismiss an indictment, information, or complaint. The government may not dismiss the prosecution during trial without the defendant’s consent. The court may…
Read MoreCan Protesting Get You Charged With a Federal Crime?
As George Floyd protests continue so to do the number of arrests related to these protests. Most people know they can get arrested for participating in a protest, but probably assume this happens only at the local level. What they might not know is that if you incite violence or participate in violence at a…
Read MoreFeds On the Lookout for CARES Fraud
The Covid-19 act brought a $2.2 trillion dollar relief package. That’s good for most Americans, who just want to live their lives and who don’t want to hurt anyone while doing it. It also creates opportunities for those who are willing to engage in fraud to get what they want. That’s why the Act itself…
Read MoreThis Tennessee Case Provides a Great Reason to Hire Your Own Lawyer
It’s not a case that got a lot of press coverage, but in 2008 two Tennessee detectives posed as federal defense attorneys to try to get incriminating information out of one of their suspects. They told the suspect they were his federal public defender. They even talked him out of cooperating with his own, real…
Read MoreIn the News: Feds Continue to Crack down on Covid-19 Fraud
Covid-19 hasn’t been around very long, but it’s already become a criminal enterprise worth over $13.4 million. Most of the scams take place online. Perpetrators sell fake cures and counterfeit PPE, not just to individuals, but to agencies and hospitals as well. They run financial relief schemes and take advantage of remote work vulnerabilities to…
Read MoreCan You Be Arrested for Violating Social Distancing Orders?
COVID-19 has created a lot of confusing change in a very short period of time. For those of us living in New York City, the biggest change has been the way that New York City has essentially been shut down in the wake of the PAUSE order. “PAUSE” stands for “Policies Assure Uniform Safety for…
Read MoreFederal Investigators Set COVID-19 Priorities
People who want to use the COVID-19 pandemic as a focus for their fraudulent activities might want to think twice. The DoJ has made a firm commitment to put any cases touching on COVID-19 front and center of their current investigation efforts. This includes prioritizing: Cases where individuals are selling fake cures and faulty health…
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