Wire fraud convictions require proof of intent

Perhaps nothing has done more to perpetuate rapid business interactions than the development and growth of the Internet. Thanks to the Internet, it is possible to connect with people around the world and establish e-commerce-based relationships.

If you run a business that relies on communicating and conducting financial transactions via the Internet, you may at some point experience a dispute with a client or a number of clients. If this happens, there are any number of issues that you may have to contend with. For instance, if you promised to provide a good or service in return for payment and for some reason you are unable to live up to your end of the bargain, you could find yourself on the receiving end of wire fraud allegations.

Fortunately, it takes more than someone registering a complaint with a law enforcement agency to bring about charges of wire fraud. One of the most important elements of wire fraud is that of intent. Basically, in order for a person to be convicted of wire fraud, the prosecution will have to demonstrate that the act in question was deliberate and was done with the intention of defrauding someone out of his or her money.

But if in the course of doing business, you acted in good faith but things did not work out as planned, then you did not commit a fraudulent act. In other words, unless it can be proven that you took someone’s money with no intent of fulfilling your promise, then you should not be convicted of wire fraud.

However, if you are facing charges of wire fraud, it is in your best interests to begin to build a strong defense as soon as possible. A California criminal defense attorney can work with you in an effort to show that the circumstances that led to the charges did not stem from an intentional act on your part to commit fraud.

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