Have you been charged with a fraud crime?
The first thing you need to do after you’ve been arrested for fraud, is to call a Cooley, Iuliano, Robey PLLC fraud attorney at 859-636-6803. Each of our partners is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, as well as the Kentucky Bar Association.
Our skilled fraud defense attorneys are always prepared to do a full investigation and defend your case, all while protecting your rights from the prosecution while they pursue their fraud case against you. Our fraud law firm and fraud attorneys are going to make certain that the Commonwealth of Kentucky is held to their burden of providing their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
What is fraud?
There is a wide range of fraud crimes in both Kentucky and federal law, each with their specific definition, but in general, a case of federal fraud crime can be defined as the intentional deception, or misrepresentation used to benefit yourself or someone else from several financial or legal products and services. Specifically, the Kentucky Revised Statute 411.184(b) as “an intentional misrepresentation, deceit, or concealment of material fact known to the defendant and made with the intention of causing injury to the plaintiff.”
A type of fraud can be credit and debit card fraud, which is when someone is caught using stolen card information from another person intending to make purchases with it or is caught using a stolen ID to open an account, or even using a stolen credit card. You’re looking at 10 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000 if convicted.
Another form of fraud is mail and wire fraud. Wire fraud charges can apply when the internet is used or a wire service to blackmail or bribe someone. Some people now even prefer to use the term internet fraud to refer to this crime. While mail fraud is the same crime but when using traditional mail. Both can give you up to 20 years in prison as a sentence, although depending on the circumstances, the period can be shorter. Fines for mail fraud can be up to $500,000, while that doubles if it’s wire fraud.
Other types of fraud can be tax fraud. Tax fraud is avoiding taxes, not underpaying taxes itself. Avoiding taxes purposefully is illegal, while failing to pay taxes because of a mistake or not counting right, is not a crime. The prison sentence for individuals convicted of tax fraud is no more than 5 years, but the fines can be up to $250,000 dollars.
If you are being accused of a fraud crime, finding experienced professionals like Lexington KY criminal defense attorney or a fraud lawyer immediately after your arrest is where you should start in taking control of your future right away.
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Types of Fraud Charges
White collar crimes in Kentucky are non-violent offenses that involve fiscal matters such as fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, insider trading, identity theft and others, normally carried out by people in business or government. Being accused of a fraud crime is enough to ruin your reputation and your livelihood, which is why you would want a fraud lawyer as soon as you’re accused. Hire a CIR Legal fraud defense attorney Lexington to help you with a money laundering charge and determine what you’re up against.
List of Common Fraud Crimes in Kentucky
- Bank Fraud
- Healthcare Fraud
- Mortgage Fraud
- Credit Card Fraud
- Tax Fraud
- Bad Checks
- Bankruptcy Fraud
- Workers Compensation Fraud
- Unemployment Compensation Fraud
- Mail And Wire Fraud
- Securities Fraud
- Business Fraud
- Consumer Fraud
If you’re facing this any of these fraud charges, get in contact with a reputable bar certified criminal defense lawyer or fraud lawyer as soon as possible
Penalties in Fraud Cases
In general, penalties for white collar crimes could range from very expensive fines to long prison sentences. Even if the most common punishment is time in minimum-security prisons, there’s no reason it can be something even harsher, especially if substantial amounts of money are involved. White collar crimes like tax fraud, credit card fraud, insider trading and fraud against the government are harshly punished and sometimes even handed over to federal prosecutors. Although for fraud cases, whether the crime is classified as a misdemeanor or a felony is detailed in their individual statutes, most fraud crimes are felonies in both state and federal law.
Take fraud offenses and allegations seriously and get professional legal representation in an expert local fraud lawyer as soon as possible to see to your case. A competent fraud defense attorney can get your case dismissed, charges filed against you dropped, or fight for an expungement of your misdemeanor conviction altogether.
Felony
In the United States, a felony is the most serious type of crime, and hence, they offer the most serious punishments, with years in prison. They are divided (like misdemeanors as well) into classes. The imprisonment terms for each class of this offense are;
- Class A – 20 to 50 years, or even life imprisonment,
- Class B – 10 to 20 years,
- Class C – 5 to 10 years, and
- Class D – 1 year to 5 years
All serious crimes, except murders (they have their own punishments), are classified as felonies.
It’s also important to point out that former convictions of this degree matter. If district court investigations and records show you are a “persistent offender,” then it’s very likely you’ll be facing a longer prison term vs someone guilty of the same crime without records of a prior felony conviction. (Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.080 (2019 ).). If this is the case, it is advised for you to share this information with your fraud defense lawyer at the earliest.
A person found guilty of a felony in states like Kentucky will also need to pay a fine costing between 1,000 dollars and 10,000 dollars. Or, if it applies, double any gain from committing the offense. In the event that it does, the district court usually orders whichever amount is greater to be paid (Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.030 (2019 ).).
It’s difficult facing offenses as serious as this alone, especially since these have long-lasting consequences on a person’s life once convicted. Which is why hiring expert fraud defense attorneys with adept insights and resources are essential. It’s also good advice to hire fraud lawyers who pay close attention to create a great working attorney client relationship with the people and cases they take on. Experienced fraud attorneys will know what to expect including with the best way to protect your rights, or avoid a conviction altogether.
Federal
More than other crimes, white collar offenses are usually prosecuted by federal authorities. The FBI is responsible for processing those accused of federal white-collar crimes. Federal white-collar charges result when they transpire on or against federal property and institutions, but they are mostly a federal offense because they normally involve financial institutions and businesses across several states. Some of these offenses include, but are not limited to, money laundering, tax evasion, election law violations, embezzlement, and several types of fraud, like mortgage, bank, health care, mass marketing, securities, and commodities, and corporate fraud. People in business or government are the vast majority of those arrested for white collar crimes. These are not victimless crimes.There can be billions of dollars at stake, along with the livelihoods of thousands of people. The penalties for white -collar crimes can range from a simple fine to jail time of a few years. The punishment will depend on the extent of the money involved, people affected, and even the social implications of your crime. You will immediately need a federal fraud lawyer if you are facing fraud charges in Kentucky or anywhere else.
You need an experienced lawyer that specializes in criminal fraud defense
All of our criminal fraud attorneys at Cooley Iuliano Robey, PLLC are members of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as well as the Kentucky Bar Association, with decades of experience in matters of fraud charges and fraud defenses or other practice areas. We value the best interest of every client, above all, and with our insights about law, we can create new defense opportunities in your case, no matter how minor. When it comes to fraud crimes, you need fraud attorneys who will fight for your constitutional rights, and start by doing an evaluation of every evidence and substance of the detail of your case content, no matter how inconsequential they may be. We will then create the best defenses in your trial and strive to avoid the harshest sentence or any penalties at all.
Free Consultation & Case Review from our experienced fraud lawyers
At CIR Legal, our fraud attorney’s fraud defense services include offering free consultation and case review to potential clients or otherwise. Our fraud attorneys have fought and will always strive to fight for the rights of every defendant in the state of Kentucky, no matter the type of offense. Call our law office at 859-636-6803 or fill out our form for a free consultation, be it pm or am.