Wire fraud is a federal offense with severe penalties that can include decades in prison. When facing these serious charges it is essential to have expert legal representation from an attorney with experience in criminal financial charges on the federal level. Contact the Law Offices of Geoffrey G. Nathan for help.
What is Wire Fraud?
Wire fraud can include any fraudulent activity that is facilitated through the use of electronic communications. The wide scope of wire fraud law frequently allows it to be used to enhance the penalties associated with any type of fraud. This allows prosecutors to shoot for sentences which exceed the maximum for the fraud if it hadn't involved electronic communication. Since the use of electronics is ubiquitous in modern society, wire fraud statutes often allow the federal prosecution of a case which would have otherwise been confined to state courts.
Federal Wire Fraud Statute
Wire fraud is virtually identical to mail fraud, except instead of using the postal service it involves electronic communications. Wire fraud is prosecuted under the authority of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, which establishes fraud through electronic communications as the following:
Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, transmits or causes to be transmitted by means of wire, radio, or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce, any writings, signs, signals, pictures, or sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice...
The broad spectrum, which can include the internet or any other kind of telecommunication, allows virtually any alleged fraud to be prosecuted as wire fraud. The penalties for a conviction include a maximum of 20 years in prison. If the fraud involves any sort of financial institution the imprisonment can be extended to 30 years, and fines can be as high as $1,000,000.
Contact the Law Offices of Geoffrey G. Nathan
Fighting wire fraud charges requires experience and familiarity with federal statutes and case law, and the legal skills to mount an effective defense. When your freedom is on the line, don't settle for anything less than the best defense available. Contact the Law Offices of Geoffrey G. Nathan today to speak with a wire fraud attorney in Boston.