Crimes involving fraud are forms of theft that occur when an individual or entity takes or uses money or property for their own gain. Generally, fraud crimes involve subterfuge, deceit, or abuse of a position of trust, distinguishing these acts from robbery or theft.
Fraud occurs most commonly in the following forms:
Credit Card Fraud:
This occurs when an individual takes another person’s credit card information in order to charge purchases to an account or remove funds from the account. A person commits credit card fraud when:
- he or she takes, uses, signs, buys, sells, or forged another person’s credit card information
- uses his or her own card knowing that it is expired, revoked, or that the account lacks the necessary funds to pay for the items charged
- Sells services or goods to someone knowing that the credit card was obtained illegally or is being used without authorization.
Credit card fraud can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony offense and depends on the amount of money charged by the accused person.
Embezzlement
This occurs when a person who is in a position of trust over the assets uses those assets for personal gain. In most cases, this person is in a position to manage, monitor, or use the assets for the benefit of the owner or business. For this type of charge to result in a conviction, the defendant must have intentionally obtained the property through the relationship, taken ownership of the property, or transferred it to another person. In addition, a fiduciary relationship must exist between the two parties. Generally, embezzlement is charged as a felony offense and can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Money Laundering
This occurs when an individual transfers funds derived from a criminal activity into seemingly legitimate accounts in an attempt to disguise the origin of the money. Some of the most common types of criminal activity associated with money laundering include drug transactions, white-collar offenses, and organized crime. Typically, money laundering is charged as a felony offense and can result in a jail sentence of up to a year.
Have You Been Accused of Fraud? We Can Defend Your Rights and Future.
If you are under investigation for or have been charged with fraud, we urge you to contact our legal team at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. right away. Backed by more than 20 years of legal experience, our team is equipped with the knowledge and skills it takes to obtain favorable results in even the most complex cases. We have tried countless criminal cases and we are ready to protect your freedom!
Discuss your case today with a Dallas white collar crime lawyer at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. today!