Delaware County Fraud Lawyer

Any arrest for fraud, whether it be check fraud, credit card fraud, insurance fraud, or identity theft, can be disconcerting and frightening. The prospect of fines, payment of restitution, and jail time, not to mention the destruction of your reputation in the community, can result in a very stressful time in your life.

A Delaware County fraud lawyer may be able to evaluate the evidence against you and help determine the defense strategy that is most likely to be successful in your case.

Some fraud cases, such as those involving allegations of mail fraud and wire fraud, may result in federal charges. Other fraud cases, which typically do not affect interstate commerce or cross state lines, may be subject to prosecution at the state level.

Regardless of whether you are facing federal or state charges, a seasoned defense attorney is likely a necessary means of protecting your rights.

Common Types of Fraud Offenses

Various types of fraud and forgery offenses exist under Pennsylvania law. One common fraud offense is insurance fraud. This type of fraud may involve staging a car accident to file a bogus insurance claim or a medical professional filing fraudulent reimbursement claims with a health insurance company.

Another type of fraud involves writing and using bad checks, or checks written on accounts that hold insufficient funds to cover them, to pay for goods and services.

Credit card or access device fraud may include using a credit card belonging to another to make purchases without authorization or using a card belonging to a fictitious person. To commit credit card fraud, individuals also may use a canceled credit card or a credit card with an insufficient credit line to pay for the purchased items.

Tax fraud may implicate both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Individuals may carry out tax fraud by filing fraudulent tax returns, failing to claim income on their tax returns, or wrongfully taking advantage of deductions to which they are not entitled. A fraud lawyer in Delaware County may be able to defend individuals against the many possible types of fraud charges that they may be facing.

Penalties for a Delaware County Fraud Conviction

The penalties that individuals may face for fraud convictions cover a wide range of possibilities. Sentencing courts base penalties in fraud cases on the type of fraud, the amount of losses to the people that the scam impacted, and the value of the financial that the accused receive due to the fraud offense.

A fraud attorney in Delaware County may be able to explain the varying sanctions that individuals may be subject to in prosecutions for fraud crimes.

Some fraud offenses are misdemeanor or even summary offenses, such as writing a handful of bad checks for items worth less than $200. Check fraud does not become a felony offense unless individuals write over $75,000 in bad checks, which is rare.

Other types of fraud are far more severe and automatically result in felony charges, such as insurance fraud. Different types of fraud can result in either misdemeanor or felony charges, usually according to the value of the funds or property received as a result of the fraud. An individual the penalties for fraud should reach out to an experienced lawyer right away.

Work with a Delaware County Fraud Attorney Today

Fraud charges and penalties vary significantly under both Pennsylvania and federal law. Each type of fraud carries different potential penalties, most of which include the possibility of significant terms of incarceration.

A Delaware County fraud lawyer may be able to analyze your case, raise any relevant defenses on your behalf, and work toward a better outcome in your case.

When conducting criminal background checks, prospective employers, landlords, and licensing agencies may refuse to give you the benefit of the doubt when they see a fraud conviction on your record. As fraud is inherently a crime of dishonesty, you could suffer consequences indefinitely as a result of a fraud conviction.

Getting legal advice when you need it most can be an instrumental part of fighting back against fraud charges and achieving a better ultimate resolution.