On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Federal Crimes on Friday, May 18, 2012
Millions of people around the country and in North Carolina have been closely following the case of Trayvon Martin, who was shot to death in February. The neighborhood watchman who says he shot Martin has always claimed self-defense, that Martin attacked him first. Photos recently released of the man, George Zimmerman, show his injuries from the aftermath of the incident and could serve to back up his story.
However, Zimmerman now has another issue to deal with. He has already been charged with second-degree murder in the case, but after the FBI caught wind of Zimmerman's alleged actions that fateful night, Zimmerman could face hate crimes charges. While the second-degree murder charge is of course serious, with the potential for a life sentence, the federal criminal charges being considered could theoretically result in the death penalty.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Embezzlement on Saturday, May 12, 2012
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty in federal court recently to a charge of deception related to the sale of some unregistered securities. The man was accused of selling half a million dollars' worth of fake stocks to dozens of people.
The man admitted that he had defrauded the people, who were told to expect a return of more than 4 percent on their investment. One couple who lost thousands of dollars in the fraud said they met the man through their children's Christian school, where the man had a daughter. The couple was so impressed with the man's sales pitch that they gave him the sale proceeds of their home, and later doubled their investment.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Federal Crimes on Monday, April 30, 2012
The more high-profile that federal criminal charges are, the more sensational the trial often becomes. This is being played out to the hilt right now in Greensboro, North Carolina, where former U.S. Sen. John Edwards is facing six criminal counts of federal campaign finance violations.
If convicted on all counts, Edwards could face up to 30 years in federal prison and $1.5 million in fines. Prosecutors argue that Edwards accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from wealthy benefactors in order to make payments to his mistress to conceal their affair and to keep his 2008 campaign for president afloat.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Criminal Federal Appeals on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Many companies in North Carolina these days have regulations about acceptable computer use for their employees. While many of the policies are in place to discourage employees from spending time on sites without relevance to their jobs, such as Facebook or YouTube, part of the federal law regarding computer fraud could have been construed in such a way that checking personal email at work or doing some personal shopping on the company time could have been a federal crime.
However, in a recent criminal federal appeals case, a judge ruled that "minor dalliances" such as procrastinating by surfing the Internet were not eligible to be prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. People close to the case said that the judge's ruling does not undermine the original intent of the law, which is to allow the prosecution of people who access a computer to which they are not entitled to use. It would not cover things like watching the NCAA basketball tournament on a work computer, as some had suggested.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Criminal Tax Violations on Friday, April 20, 2012
As millions of Americans have finished off their tax returns this week (or, perhaps, are holding onto them after the filing deadline), many people wonder if there isn't a better way. Even people in North Carolina and around the country who don't consider themselves technologically savvy have embraced filing their tax returns electronically, either through a program like TurboTax or directly through government websites.
Some people suggest, however, that the process be taken to the next step: have the government do your tax return for you. The IRS has the information it needs in the form of 1099 and W-2 forms that are sent to the taxpayer and the government, so much of the information, and the calculations, are basically known quantities by both you and the government. However, there is a drawback: some people think such a system could lead to an increase in criminal tax charges.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Fraud on Thursday, April 12, 2012
The owner of a debt collection agency that has since gone out of business was sentenced to federal prison this week for his white collar crimes. According to federal prosecutors, a yearlong scheme to deposit bogus checks into the business and then pull the money out before the checks were rejected caused losses of more than $400,000.
The man's debt collection agency has been the subject of dozens of complaints from around the country for more than a decade. He had pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and three counts of bank fraud back in August. The judge in the case sentenced him to consecutive sentences of 24 and 27 months, respectively, and the man must report to prison by June 4.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Embezzlement on Friday, April 6, 2012
While most people in North Carolina would never think they would fall prey to a scheme that would them to commit white collar crime without even realizing it, this scenario appears to have happened to a woman who faced uncertainty due to the temporary loss of her job.
The situation unfolded last year during the NFL lockout. A woman who worked in the information technology department for the Buffalo Bills did not know if she would have a job when the players were locked out and no business was taking place. Apparently desperate for income, she turned to Craigslist to find work.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Criminal Tax Violations on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
As the deadline for filing taxes draws ever nearer, so too do reports of people who have tried to work the federal tax system for their personal benefit. Unfortunately for those who attempt tax fraud, the consequences of getting caught are severe. Several North Carolina residents are finding that out in a big way after being sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a scheme that illegally brought the group millions of dollars.
According to federal district court officials, four people who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government over their role in filing false tax returns were sentenced earlier this month from terms ranging from one to four years. Three other people were connected to the scheme: one of them is awaiting sentencing but currently free on bond; another is awaiting sentencing but in federal custody; and the third is at large.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Federal Crimes on Thursday, March 22, 2012
From the Rosenbergs to Robert Hanssen, Americans have long been fascinated with cases of espionage. Being accused of espionage is one of the most serious federal crimes on the books, and prosecutions in recent years have been few and far between.
However, a former space scientist who helped develop the successful project that found water on the moon was sentenced recently to 13 years in prison for attempted espionage. The 54-year-old scientist accepted money to spy on the United States for Israel, or so he thought. The agent he met with, who he thought worked for Israel's intelligence service, was actually an FBI agent.
On behalf of Ivey, McClellan, Gatton & Talcott, L.L.P. posted in Federal Crimes on Friday, March 16, 2012
When people in gangster movies talk about "the cheese," most of the time they mean money. But when officials recently filed federal charges involving illicit cheese, they actually meant...illicit cheese.
The story begins at a longtime cheese maker called Lebanon Cheese. The company and the president were both charged with a rather unique count of causing the interstate shipment of adulterated cheese. According to authorities, the defendants sold cheese that was considered to be unfit for human consumption. But their attorney said it's only about one batch of cheese that was shipped to one customer.
