scheme or artifice to defraud

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A summary of federal wire fraud

February 9, 2011

The federal statute on wire fraud is Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Congress passed the wire fraud statute in 1952 as part of the Communications Act Amendment. The law against mail fraud was already on the books at that point, but Congress wanted to extend the mail fraud provisions to cover new technology. [...]

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An overview of federal money laundering statutes

February 6, 2011
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The United States government keeps close watch on financial activity both for tax collection purposes and also for law enforcement. Tracking the flow of cash through small businesses has proven to be a useful tool for federal agents investigating large scale criminal organizations. Money laundering, generally, is the practice of using a business to conceal [...]

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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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Summary of federal criminal charges relating to bankruptcy

November 28, 2010
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Bankruptcy is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of federal courts. A person cannot declare bankruptcy in state court. Federal law controls the procedure for filing bankruptcy, disclosing assets and liabilities, and reorganizing or discharging debts. During the course of a bankruptcy, certain misconduct can constitute a criminal offense. For example, hiding assets, signing a false [...]

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