According to the FBI, a federal law enforcement agency will investigate crimes brought to the attention of federal authorities to determine whether an offense happened and who is responsible. Which federal agency investigates any alleged criminal activity depends on...
Illicit business requirements for conviction under the RICO Act
Racketeering is a serious federal offense requiring proof that an individual repeatedly engaged in unlawful activities while conducting business through an illicit enterprise. A prosecutor filing charges alleging racketeering must first prove the existence of an...
Understanding Ponzi schemes
Should federal prosecutors in California charge you with running a Ponzi scheme, you likely will have questions about the exact nature of the alleged offense. A Ponzi scheme is a form of financial fraud. Often, although not always, it involves a perpetrator, generally...
What qualifies as insider trading?
Since 2008, insider trading has been the subject of the California news and entertainment such as the show “Billions.” The truth is that white-collar crime has been a subject of interest to the public for decades. High profile cases of illegal trading have made...
Justice Department announces forensic evidence working group
A deputy attorney general recently announced the creation of an internal forensic science working group within the Justice Department. It's main goals will be to develop uniform standards for how forensic evidence may be described in testimony and to set up a...
Money laundering charges could tie you to terrorism
White collar crimes come in all shapes and sizes, but most people assume that they are the territory of business people trying to bend the rules to turn a profit, not part of a larger, more sinister scheme. Unfortunately, in the last two decades, money laundering has...
Newport Beach man sentenced to 10 years for role in drug ring
A 41-year-old Newport Beach resident was sentenced on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, for his role leading a synthetic drug ring that nearly resulted in several of his clients almost losing their lives. He is slated be transported to federal prison where he will spend the...
Orange County woman pleads guilty to embezzling $1.5 million
A 34-year-old San Juan Capistrano woman pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1.5 million from her accounting clients on Monday, June 12, 2017. According to documents filed in federal court, she will be receiving a reduced sentence in exchange for her signing a plea...
2 Orange County men arrested for possessing counterfeit money
Two Orange County residents, one a 42-year-old and the other a 27-year-old, were arrested on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. They had been under surveillance by the Norco Special Enforcement Team and the United States Secret Service after at least one of the agencies had...
Man arrested in connection with large beehive theft
Federal crimes come in all shapes and sizes, as one suspect learned recently after officials arrested him in connection with the theft of some peculiar property. Officials believe the man is responsible for the theft of bees and beehives worth nearly $1 million....