If you’ve been charged with Wire Fraud, get an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney

Wire fraud is a federal crime that can get you into serious trouble. Some of the factors involved are complicated, so you may not understand the charges when you receive them. Rather than trying to go it alone or work with an inexperienced attorney, you should look for someone who understands not only the elements of the crime, but how to defend you in federal court.

Defining Wire Fraud

Fraud is the use of deception to obtain something of value from another person or institution. It can come in many forms, but wire fraud comes when the scheme used involves electronic or interstate communications to achieve its goals. To prove that you have committed wire fraud, the prosecution must show that you created the scheme with specific intent to defraud someone.

Potential Penalties for Wire Fraud

Wire fraud is a federal crime with potentially heavy penalties. If you are convicted, you face up to 20 years in a federal prison, and a fine up to $250,000. If you base the scheme on a presidentially-declared disaster or a financial institution, those penalties go up to 30 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines. You may also be charged separately for state crimes, adding even more to what you may face.

Your Available Defenses

Fortunately, you do have defenses against charges of wire fraud. The first comes down to intent. If the prosecution cannot show that you meant to defraud anyone, or if you can prove you did not, you will not be convicted. Similarly, if you believed that the key representations you made were true, you have not committed wire fraud. Finally, if you were giving an opinion or just advertising “puffery”–or language meant to exaggerate in traditional marketing language–this is not enough to constitute fraud.

Wire fraud charges are serious and can have a tremendous impact on your life. If you have been charged, do not wait to seek an attorney. Contact Eisenberg Law Offices right away, at https://eisenberglaw.org/contact-us/ or at (608)256-8356. We will give you the experienced defense you need.