Articles Posted in Federal Offenses

Police have determined that a potential kidnapping incident in Redondo Beach that involved an 8-year-old boy was just a misunderstanding. According to a news report in The Daily Breeze, the incident occurred on Huntington Lane in Redondo Beach on January 27 when the boy walked past the man, who made comments the boy misinterpreted. The child felt threatened and notified the authorities. According to the police, the man was the boy’s neighbor and had no intention of kidnapping the boy. The investigation revealed that it was simply a misunderstanding and no charges were filed.

Under California Penal Code 207, kidnapping involves a person who “forcibly, or by any other means of instilling fear, steals or takes, or holds, detains, or arrests any person in this state, and carries the person into another country, state, or county, or into another part of the same county.” Kidnapping and attempted kidnapping are serious crimes that often result in extended prison sentences. Kidnapping charges in California involving children could also include sex crime charges for the defendant, depending on the circumstances of the case.

Many crimes that involve a minor occur because of a misunderstanding. That is why it is crucial to have a skilled attorney help you fight the charges every step of the way. An individual who is faced with child molestation or child sex abuse charges is looking at a lengthy prison time, hefty fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender.

The brother of a former Mexican president had been sentenced to serve seven years in prison for securities fraud and tax evasion. According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, the 67-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday, March 23, 2010 to grand theft auto, securities fraud and tax evasion for defrauding those investors by promising large returns for false business opportunities and stealing the investors funds. In addition to prison time, he must repay $460,000 to seven victims as well as $117,000 to the California Franchise Tax Board.

The man was originally arrested and charged in January. He faced a maximum sentence of 27 years in prison at the time. His guilty plea was supposedly coaxed by a plea bargain that dropped 13 out of the 15 original counts of grand theft auto and one count of tax evasion and fraudulent sales of securities.

The man had taken amounts that varied from $18,000 to $350,000 from victims between March 2006 and August 2007. He promised either land or Mexican political influence. In total, he unlawfully stole $1.2 million dollars from his victims. This is the man’s second criminal conviction. Over 20 years ago, he had been sentenced to ten years in an Arizona prison for fraud, serving a total of six years before he was released.

Last Wednesday, March 10, 2010, federal prosecutors charged Hump, a popular sushi restaurant in the Santa Monica owned by Typhoon Restaurant Inc., for selling endangered whale meat. Also being charged is the restaurant’s head chef. The investigation surfaced when the New York Times accused the restaurant and chef of serving endangered Sei whale meat out of the trunk of a white Mercedes.

This incident has shocked many environmental organizations and animal activists, especially since Santa Monica is known for its progressive environmentalism. Federal agents and animal activists worked together in a sting operation that orchestrated by the associate producer of Oscar-winning documentary, “The Cove.”

According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, both the restaurant and the chef are being charged with the illegal sale of a marine mammal product, a misdemeanor that holds a maximum sentence of one year in prison and fines up to $100,000 for an individual and $200,000 for an organization.

The attorney for Hump said in a statement that the restaurant “accepts responsibility for the wrongdoing charged by the U.S. attorney and will agree to pay a fine and resolve this matter in court.”
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A Los Angeles man has been convicted of Medicare fraud. According to this CBS News report, prosecutors say a Los Angeles man who prescribed unnecessary motorized wheelchairs using a doctor’s stolen identity has been convicted for defrauding Medicare for $7.7 million. The 59-year-old man was found guilty of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to federal officials, the man prescribed hundreds of these wheelchairs to Medicare beneficiaries between 2005 and 2008. Some of the victims told officials that they were “recruited” into the scam with the promise of free exams and free medical equipment.

A federal offense in California is any offense that violates the laws contained in the United States Criminal Code. These offenses are mostly “white collar crimes” dealing with different types of fraud, including health care fraud. All federal laws passed by the United States Congress come under the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the federal government. The executive branch has the responsibility of enforcing these laws and the judicial branch adjudicates the articles contained in the U.S. criminal code.

Federal courts can impose severe penalties on those convicted of a federal offense. If you have been charged with a federal crime, you need the skill and experience of a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles at Sitkoff & Hanrahan Please call for a free consultation. Our criminal defense team collectively has more than 60 years of criminal defense, criminal trial, prosecution and investigation experience. We have the knowledge and dedication to provide a strong defense in your federal case. Call us today for a free case discussion.

A Riverside woman was arrested for the CA embezzlement of more than $1 million from a Mercedes Benz car dealership in Anaheim Hills where she worked. According to a news report in the Whittier Daily News, the Orange County District Attorney is charging Sheryl Lynne Law with grand theft by embezzlement, fraud and other counts. Prosecutors say Law wrote 144 fraudulent checks to her sister-in-law, Jessica Newark, of Whittier. Law apparently noted the checks as trade-in payments from the dealership when in fact Newark never traded in a vehicle with the dealership. Newark has also been charged with embezzlement. If convicted of the fraud, both could be sentenced to 63 years in state prison.

If you are convicted of embezzlement, theft, or fraud in California it could have a significant impact on your personal life, your job, career and future. A theft or fraud conviction could not only mean a lengthy jail or prison sentence and hefty fines, but it also tarnishes your reputation. When trust is lost, it is extremely hard to regain – as an employee or as a business. It could do long-term damage and jeopardize your chances of getting a good job.
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A 67-year-old Orange County resident has been arrested on suspicion of embezzlement and identity theft, according to a news report in the Orange County Register. Joseph Anthony Veltre Jr., 67, was arrested by both Costa Mesa and Newport Beach police detectives who say Veltre defrauded investors for seven years in a Ponzi scheme that involved fraudulent “second” trust deeds.

According to the article, after investors put in their money, Veltre would record fraudulent loans against their property and pay them returns with the proceeds. Police also say they suspect Veltre of other financial crimes. Apparently, he did business under several names including Allied Corporate Investments and Sea View Financial Centers with addresses in Tustin and Orange.

Fraud offenses in California such as this are considered “federal offenses.” The consequences, if convicted, can be extremely serious. Each count could carry lengthy prison terms and hefty financial penalties. Besides, your reputation as a business person in your community could take a serious hit even with the accusation of fraud. You don’t even have to be convicted of fraud to be ostracized from your business circles and community.

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