Category Archives: Mail Fraud
Aggravated Identity Theft: Federal Crimes and Mandatory Punishments
The basic federal felony criminal statute defining “identity theft” has been on the books for over twenty-five years, but it didn’t take long for lawmakers to decide it wasn’t enough. A new and more serious criminal charge was argued as necessary within six years of its passage. The result was Congress enacting the 2004 Identity…
Tax Crimes: Known Focus Areas for IRS Taxpayer Criminal Investigations
An increase in federal criminal prosecutions involving alleged federal tax crimes and corresponding violations of federal criminal statutes is expected by many here in Texas, including experienced federal criminal defense lawyers. For details, read our discussion of the May 2024 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Strategic Operating Plan in IRS Summons Form 2039: Federal Criminal Defense…
Cryptocurrency and Money Laundering: Digital Money Felony Arrests
Operation Crypto Runner here in Texas is one example of federal focus on crypto crime. Money mules here in Texas can face very serious felony charges, even if they were unwilling or clueless participants in an illegal scheme that usually involves money laundering. Marks can still get arrested: that is where an experienced criminal defense…
Racketeering in Texas: Criminal Defense Against RICO Charges
Today, everyone recognizes organized crime known as the “Mafia” or the “Cosa Nostra,” but it wasn’t until the middle of the 20th Century that these criminal enterprises were confirmed to exist. A man named Joseph Valachi is credited with being the first organization member to authenticate its existence, and he did so during public testimony…
Loss Amounts in Federal Sentences: Calculating Economic and Financial Losses in Federal Felonies
Federal Sentencing Guideline 2B1.1 explains how to calculate monetary loss in a variety of crimes, such as tax evasion, structuring, wire fraud, money laundering, and mortgage fraud. Financial crimes prosecuted by the federal government usually involve a lot of money that builds into a large economic loss for its victims. Criminal creativity being what it…
Texas in the 2017 DEA National Drug Threat Assessment
A few weeks ago, the Drug Enforcement Administration released its annual drug crime report, entitled the 2017 National Drug Threat Assessment. It’s published as the government’s latest “…comprehensive strategic assessment of threats posed to our communities by transnational criminal organizations and the illicit drugs they distribute throughout the United States.” (Report, page 7.) 2017 DEA…
Things to Know about Wire Fraud Today: It’s a Big Deal
Read news stories about arrests or prosecutions here in Texas, and you’ll find Wire Fraud usually gets added into the mix alongside Mail Fraud and the more well-known felonies like Racketeering, or Money Laundering, or Drug Trafficking. Wire fraud is like the apple that gets tossed into the lunchbox – it’s got substance and it…
WHITE COLLAR CRIME: INDICTMENTS OF TEXAS PROFESSIONALS
When Suits Are Arrested White collar crime prosecutions for various kinds of fraud, among other things, are popping up all over Texas right now. Professionals in nice suits and enjoying swanky life styles are getting arrested and charged for all sorts of felonies. What is White Collar Crime? You probably know more about “white collar…
10 Things to Know About Mail Fraud Prosecutions
If you are following the criminal trial of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, then you know that one of the big federal felony charges he’s facing is five counts of “Deprivation of Honest Services by Mail Fraud, Aiding and Abetting.” John Wiley Price’s Felony Counts 2 -7: Mail Fraud That’s in addition to the…
The John Wiley Price Case: a Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Predictions
First things first, the recent arrest of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price is a big deal here in Dallas. News of the FBI arresting Mr. Price on corruption charges came as a huge shock to many people in our neck of the woods. Some folk are still reeling from the news. Why?…
