Common Federal Crimes & How To Respond To Charges

Common Federal Crimes & Charges

People throughout the country are at risk of being charged with a variety of federal crimes. Each of these charges can result in serious penalties, which is why any criminal charges must be met with the strongest defense possible, with the help of a criminal defense attorney. The following takes a brief look at the most common federal crimes as well as some of the defenses that can be used in response to these charges.

Federal Drug Offenses

A person can end up facing drug charges on both a federal and state level. Some of the most common types of federal drug offenses with which individuals are charged include drug distribution, drug manufacturing, drug trafficking, and drug possession. Federal charges for drugs are often initiated when a person is determined to have been transporting a substantial amount of drugs.

Federal Mail Fraud

Mail fraud describes an activity that is performed through the use of the United States mail or any other type of mail carrier. To establish mail fraud, the prosecution must establish that an individual used a scheme to defraud others, the individual made statements that influence others to give up money or property, the individual acted with the intent to deceive others, and the individual used the mail to carry out a scheme.

Federal Wire Fraud Law

Wire fraud involves using communications over wires rather than through the mail. To be charged with wire fraud, the prosecution must establish that an individual created a scheme to defraud another for financial gain, the scheme was carried out to defraud others, that the individual had reasonable knowledge that wire communication was necessary to perform the fraud  and that foreign or interstate communication was used to commit the fraud.

Federal Bank Fraud Law

Bank fraud involves any scheme to defraud a bank or any other type of financial institution. A person can be charged with this offense if he or she uses deceit, dishonesty, or any other type of trick to obtain credit, security, or any other type of asset.

Federal Conspiracy Laws

Conspiracy arises when two or more individuals agree to commit a criminal offense and then take some action towards completing that crime. It is not required that the crime that was committed actually be committed. Instead, only one small step towards the commission of the offense is required.

Defending Against Federal Charges

There are fortunately several types of defenses that a person can raise in response to a federal offense. One of the most common defenses is establishing that law enforcement failed to gather a sufficient amount of evidence to prove each element of the case. Another common type of defense is that a law enforcement officer violated a person’s Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches seizures.