Fraud can take many different forms, but they all share one trait in common: they are serious charges, often graded as felonies, which can result in years of incarceration and thousands of dollars in fines. In addition to the formal penalties which may be imposed by the courts, persons found guilty of these crimes often struggle with matters of employment and professional certification due to the financial nature of the their charges. For those who have made their careers with banks or other financial institutions, a fraud conviction can be especially catastrophic.

With so much on the line, you need to take steps to defend your rights and address the charges against you. Defense attorney Victor Knapp has more than 33 years of experience representing thousands of clients in Queens and throughout the five-borough area, and brings aggressive and strategic legal advocacy to every case. Call our law offices today to learn more about how we may be able to assist you.

Once again, fraud can manifest itself in many different ways. As a result, there are many different types of offenses you can be charged with under the general umbrella of “fraud.” In New York, these include but are not limited to:

Identity Theft — Found under Article 190 (S 190.78-S 190.80-a). Can be charged on the aggravated level. Identity theft means presenting yourself as another person in order to obtain “goods, money, property or services or uses.” Under S 190.77, all and any of the following can be considered “personal identifying information”: names, addresses, phone numbers, banking account numbers, social security numbers, computer passwords, serial numbers, maiden names, and more. Identity theft can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The “lightest” penalties include a yearlong sentence and $1,000 in fines, while a felony conviction can result in up to seven years in prison.

Insurance Fraud — Found under Article 176. Any application to obtain payment for services not actually rendered or medical devices that were not actually provided constitutes an act of insurance fraud.

This crime can involve a government insurer (e.g. Medicare) or a private insurer (e.g. Blue Cross). This can be charged on the aggravated level, as can the similar charge of life settlement fraud.

Mail and Wire Fraud — Found under 18 U.S.C. § 1341 and 18 U.S.C. § 1343, respectively. Since at lease 1872, the federal government has criminalized acts or schemes to wrongfully defraud another person through the U.S. Postal Service (mail) or electronic communication (wire). Up to 30 years in prison can be imposed on those convicted of this federal crime.

RICO Charges — RICO stands for “Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations.” As a result, this federal law is sometimes referred to as the anti-racketeering act. It focuses on holding the leader of an organization accountable for the things that he or she orders. RICO allows for both criminal charges by a federal prosecutor and civil charges by those suffering financial damages due to the alleged RICO scheme.