A woman in Utah whose legal case attracted national attention because of its relationship to America's drug crisis barely avoided jail after recently violating the terms of her bail.The former nurse is accused of stealing powerful painkillers away from patients under...
Federal Crimes
Immunity when you’re a witness for the prosecution
What does it mean when a prosecutor offers you immunity in exchange for your testimony about a crime or a potential crime?It depends. Generally speaking, the prosecutor may offer you transactional immunity or use immunity. The difference between them is...
Government issues warnings about fake threats
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) wants people to know that fake threats and hoaxes targeting public buildings and private citizens can lead to very real prison sentences.Using the hashtag #ThinkBeforeYouPost as a way to spread the word, the FBI has started a...
Silence is your best defense during a federal investigation
You can find out that you're the target of a federal investigation a number of different ways. One way is hearing from friends, colleagues and business associates that they've recently been interviewed by investigators or asked to give a statement about your...
What is public corruption?
Public corruption is a broad term that encompasses almost any kind of misuse of a public office or government position for one's own private gain. Most commonly, public corruption is related to offering, actually giving or being on the receiving end of favorable...
Immigrants need to be cautious about voting
The United States is experiencing a lot of internal conflict over immigration issues right now -- including the idea that there may be large numbers of immigrants voting illegally and swaying important elections.So far, there's been no evidence of large-scale voter...
Don’t take conspiracy charges lightly
Is being in the presence of someone who is contemplating the commission of a crime illegal in itself? It depends on whether or not prosecutors believe that you engaged in a conspiracy with that other person.Most people don't understand how conspiracy charges work....
Don’t lie to federal agents (and don’t tell the truth, either)
What do you do if a federal agent knocks on your door and wants to ask you some questions about your former employer, your boss, your brother-in-law or your best friend?It's important to handle questions from a federal agent very carefully. This is no time to panic,...
Post office defrauded of $16 million in stamps
A five-year scam robbed the United States Postal Service (USPS) of around $16 million in free deliveries. It happened through forgery combined with a little modern technology.Three men, including one from Florida, operated a company that provided two large clients...
Could being a witness in a federal investigation lead to jail?
You can't really look at the news these days without reading about a federal investigation into something. One thing you may quickly notice is that someone who is initially described as "just a witness" will suddenly end up facing charges along with the original...
In The Media:
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