Fraud, money laundering and forgery are all serious crimes, with potential state and federal consequences. Such cases are carefully investigated by law enforcement and often include a significant amount of evidence such as investigating paper trails.
Fraud
Most people have heard the term fraud before, but there are many types of fraud. Fraud does not involve violence, but rather deceit in order to receive some economic benefit. Business professionals and everyday people can find themselves facing fraud charges, including:
- Bank fraud
- Wire fraud
- Mail fraud
- Health care fraud
- Mortgage fraud
- Tax fraud
These are just some of the potential fraud charges that exist.
Money Laundering
Money laundering is when a person obtains money from an illegal source and conceals the origins of the money, often times via legitimate businesses. The purpose of money laundering is often to hide the money earned from illegal sources and avoid prosecution. Many legitimate businesses have started with funds that have been laundered. Despite the fact that the business is a legally run entity, it is not legal to use illegally obtained money for a legal purpose.
Forgery
Forgery involves creating or altering documents with the intention to deceive another party. Forgery is common with signing a document as another person, or changing the amount on a check or contract.
In Colorado it is not only a crime to engage in the act of forging something, but to also possess a document that has been forged if you have the intent of defrauding another person with the document.
Do Not Discuss Fraud, Money Laundering Or Forgery Charges With Anyone
It is imperative that if you are being investigated for any of these crimes, or if you have been arrested, that you exercise extreme discretion and only speak with a white collar crimes attorney. Why? Because your friends, family, acquaintances and even co-workers can be called as witnesses. Also, because this is a serious and private matter that needs to be handled discretely. These types of charges also include jail time, serious fines and restitution.
If convicted, these types of crimes cannot be sealed in Colorado. That means trying to move past such a serious conviction will be hard to do. Law enforcement, government agencies and even the public will have access to this information. A conviction could hurt your chances of renting a home or gaining employment.
Call Flesch & Beck Law today at (303) 806-8886 to discuss your case!
