Posts by Lee Koch

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…

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…

While many people have accidentally bounced a check every now and then, check kiting is a deliberate form of fraud. It’s a federal white collar crime and can involve sophisticated schemes and multiple banks. Yet it does not have to be sophisticated to get you into deep trouble.  The basic crime involves writing a check…

Under the federal Bank Secrecy Act, banks must report deposits, withdrawals, or transfers of more than $10,000. This doesn’t mean it’s illegal to make them, only that the federal government gets an alert when they see you do it.  Some people try to divide up their transactions in an effort to evade the requirement. Some…

Upon a defense lawyer’s request, federal law requires prosecutors to give the defense copies of all the materials and evidence they intend to use at trial. This includes any evidence which may tend to support the defendant’s innocence, called exculpatory evidence.  Federal prosecutors have an obligation to disclose exculpatory evidence whether or not the defense…