drug trafficking

A summary of federal firearm laws

September 26, 2011
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A person who possesses a gun can be charged with a crime if he is disqualified from legally possessing the weapon. The charge can be based on state law where the gun is possessed within the boundaries of a state. Or the charge can be based on federal law whenever the gun travels interstate. Federal [...]

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Failure to report more than $10,000 cash: felony under federal law

January 16, 2011
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A person who is self-employed would probably always prefer cash payment from customers over credit cards or personal checks. But the self-employed should be wary of federal laws concerning reporting cash payments. Intentional violation of cash reporting laws can result in felony charges. The federal government watches small business closely in a number of ways. [...]

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Possession of a firearm by convicted felon: federal offense

December 15, 2010
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A charge in federal court for possessing  a firearm as a convicted felon carries extremely severe penalties. It does not matter that the firearm was unloaded. Nor does it matter that the weapon was never discharged. In fact, the firearm itself may not be operable. Nonetheless, a person can be found guilty of this crime [...]

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Accountability for acts of another during conspiracy

December 8, 2010
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In a federal prosecution for conspiracy, the defendant is typically charged with two offenses. First, he is charged with conspiracy. Second, he is charged with the offense that he and his co-conspirators were conspiring to commit. This is known as the object of the conspiracy. For instance, a person charged in connection with a drug [...]

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The statute of limitations defense for federal crimes

December 5, 2010
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A criminal charge is like a civil lawsuit in one respect, the time limit for filing against the defendant. The federal statute of limitations that applies to criminal charges says that once 5 years has passed from the commission of the offense, the federal government is barred from filing charges. The federal statute of limitations [...]

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