Category Archives: Federal Criminal Defense
Do 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…
Feds 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…
What is Check Kiting?
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…
What Is the Federal Crime of Structuring?
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…
How Discovery Works in Federal Criminal Cases
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…
Does the 5th Amendment Let You Lie to Federal Agents?
Lying to federal agents is against the law, and the 5th Amendment will not protect you if you choose to do it. Under the 5th Amendment, you have the right to avoid incriminating yourself. At least, that’s the simplified version of the 5th Amendment you…
Should You Take a Polygraph if You’re Accused of a Federal Crime?
Polygraphs are notorious for being “junk science.” The technology behind them hasn’t been updated since the 1950s, and they are only 80% to 90% accurate. In fact, some experts say they don’t measure lies. They measure stress. Fear. Anxiety. In fact, the APA would tell…
What to Do if You are an Immigrant Accused of a Crime
Immigration law and criminal law have been entangled for over three decades. If you’re wondering what to do if you are an immigrant accused of a crime, it’s important to know that you have two primary concerns: whether jail is a possibility, or whether deportation…
How to Protect Yourself from Criminal Charges When You’re a Victim of Identity Theft
Adding insult to injury doesn’t even begin to cover it. Victims of identity theft already have so much to deal with: restoring their credit, putting out fraud alerts, getting documents reissued. But identity theft brings another risk, one that’s not always talked about. The risk…
5 Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Under Investigation
Unless you receive a target letter, it’s hard to know if you’re the subject of a federal investigation. There are some subtle signs. Certainly if you’ve done something wrong you should seriously consider you may be under investigation if you start seeing any of them.…
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