Mail Fraud/Wire Fraud

Atlanta, Georgia Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud Lawyer

When a crime involves the United States mail or transferring illegal funds through the Internet, it can be elevated to the federal level as either mail fraud or wire fraud, which statutorily carry up to 20-30 years imprisonment.  At The Federal Law Group in Atlanta, Georgia, we recognize the nature of these serious crimes and aggressively advocate for our clients' rights.

Mail Fraud 

The federal offense of mail fraud, codified at 18 U.S.C. §1341, makes it criminal for the U.S. Postal Service to be used as a vehicle to carry out any fraudulent scheme which attempts to unlawfully obtain money or valuables.  This statute is often used as a basis for a separate federal prosecution of what would otherwise have been only a violation of a state law. 

Examples of mail fraud include the following:

• Corporate crimes, such as embezzlement, theft, or money laundering, where a fiduciary employee of a company fraudulently writes a check to him/herself (usually under a falsified identity) and then mails the check for receipt and deposit (usually to a P.O. Box to disguise his/her address). With money laundering, a fraudulent corporation is usually set up to "launder" (or convert) money derived from an illegal activity, such as drug distribution, into money from a seemingly legal activity.  How the money is distributed after it is laundered determines how the crime will be charged.
• Telephone marketing schemes, where an organization solicits large sums of money from an individual over the phone, usually to be mailed in installment payments, under the fraudulent guise that the individual has won a cash prize or other tangible reward.
• Non-delivery or misrepresentation of mail-order items, where an individual will order an item, make a payment, and never receive the item, or receive something that is defective or otherwise deficient.
• Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes, where an individual is invited by a "chain letter" to send money to the first of a list of names and addresses before forwarding the letter to several more people.  The person starting the Ponzi scheme claims to have become rich, but the people at the bottom of the pyramid receive nothing.  In some cases, every address on the chain letter will be a P.O. Box controlled by the person sending the letters or by one or more accomplices.

Wire Fraud

The federal crime of wire fraud is codified at 18 U.S.C. §1343, and is similar to the offense of mail fraud, except that it makes illegal any criminally fraudulent activity involving electronic communications, and requires that the electronic communications cross state lines.

Examples of traditional wire fraud schemes include false insurance claims, fraudulent investment schemes, misrepresentations in the sale of used automobiles, false application forms for loans fraudulent bond issuances, check kiting schemes, false advertising, and various bribery and kickback schemes.

At The Federal Law Group, we can handle all aspects of your mail fraud or wire fraud case. The prosecution's obligation is to prove that you intended to commit the crime. Our job is to gather the evidence and develop a strategy to defend you.

During pre-indictment, a firm attorney will encourage you to plead the Fifth and not incriminate yourself. From there, we will negotiate with the prosecution to dismiss or plead to an Information that can result in a more lenient sentence. If you were part of a conspiracy that committed these crimes, we can also negotiate your cooperation to provide information on the leadership structure of the conspiracy in exchange for a lesser sentence.

The Federal Law Group has also been successful on many occasions in reducing and mitigating sentences for our clients. That may involve a reduction in prison time to simply house arrest.

For more information on mail fraud or wire fraud or to schedule a free initial consultation with a firm attorney, call us or contact us today.