Mail Fraud

The term mail fraud involves crimes in which one person attempts to defraud another person using the United States mail system across state lines. What separates mail fraud from other types of white-collar fraud is that in the United States, the mail system is regulated by the federal government and therefore, mail fraud is charged exclusively as a federal crime rather than under state law. Mail fraud is typically investigated by either the FBI or the US Postal Inspection Service. Mail fraud includes using any postal carrier or delivery service to defraud someone. The most common motive for mail fraud is monetary gain. An experienced Orange County mail fraud lawyer can help you if you have been or believe that you will be charged with mail fraud.

To prove a person committed mail fraud, the prosecution must prove that the accused had a plan to defraud another person and used the mail (or other delivery service) to carry that plan out. Courts have generally defined fraud as deception or trickery.

In the United States it is a crime to commit mail fraud under 18 U.S. Code § 1341, which provides: “Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises…places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.” If you believe that you may be facing federal mail fraud charges, retaining an experienced mail fraud attorney in Orange County is crucial to your case.

Mail fraud is often charged because the use of the mail does not have to be the integral or main part of the scheme in order for the prosecution to charge someone. For example, using the mail once as part of a larger overall fraudulent scheme can lead to mail fraud charges. Additionally, a person does not have to send something in the mail themselves to be charged with mail fraud. If a person directs another person to send something through the mail with the intent to defraud, the person who directed the fraudulent mailing can still be charged with mail fraud.

The punishment for mail fraud can be quite serious. This type of crime is punishable by up to twenty years in prison. Quite often in mail fraud cases, imprisonment is also accompanied by serious fines ranging from thousands of dollars up to one million dollars. Although these crimes can be charged alone, typically they are charged in conjunction with other white-collar crimes. An experienced mail fraud attorney in Orange County can fight these charges with a variety of different legal defense strategies.

Mail fraud is a fairly common crime that is heavily investigated by the federal government. If you or someone you know is facing mail fraud charges, please contact criminal defense attorney William Weinberg for a free confidential consultation. Mr. Weinberg is an experienced criminal defense attorney with proven results, and he promises to vigorously defend your rights under the law. To reach Orange County mail fraud lawyer, William Weinberg please contact his Irvine office at (949) 474-8008 or by emailing him at bill@williamweinberg.com.