Fraud Is a Serious Offense in Arizona
Fraud charges in Arizona come with serious consequences that can range from harsh fines to time in jail. If you have been charged with fraud in Arizona, it’s important that you have the right legal support on your side to minimize the risk of facing harsh consequences.
Our Phoenix fraud attorneys here at JacksonWhite are here to help you overcome harsh charges. With decades of experience in criminal defense, we will advocate for you to ensure you understand your rights and build a firm defense with the intention of getting your charges reduced or dropped.
What Is Fraud?
According to Arizona fraud laws, fraud is any deceitful action intended to cause harm against another party, often for one’s own personal gain. Covered under ARS 13-2310, fraud entails using misrepresentation or deceit to take advantage of another individual for either personal or financial gain.
Fraud is often for monetary gain, but it is not necessary for an act to involve financial benefit to be considered a crime. Fraud can take many forms, from forging identification documents in a grand, thought-out scheme to a more minor act like swiping your company credit card without permission.
Some of the most common forms of fraud include:
- Embezzlement – Intentionally using or stealing company funds or a company card for personal gain.
- Internal theft – Stealing cash or valuable physical resources from a company, like office supplies.
- Credit Card Fraud – Credit card fraud entails theft using someone else’s credit card or personal data to make purchases or steal funds.
- Counterfeiting – Intentionally imitating a product, money, a credit card, or other resource to defraud others and attempt personal gain.
- Insurance Fraud – Submitting a false insurance claim under false pretenses to seek financial benefits they are not actually entitled to.
- Identity Theft – Using someone else’s personal information to open financial accounts or make financial transactions.
- Medicare Fraud – This involves a range of crimes, including billing for services not provided, lying about Medicare eligibility, and more.
These are just a few examples of how fraud may take place. Other examples include wire fraud, mortgage fraud, bank fraud, investment fraud, and more.
To prove fraud, the prosecution must demonstrate that a person intentionally meant to use deceit to defraud another party. If you have been convicted of any form of fraud, it’s crucial you have an experienced fraud lawyer, like our team here at JacksonWhite, on your side to help defend you against harsh charges.
Consequences of a Fraud Conviction
Legal consequences of a fraud conviction can vary depending on the circumstances of the case. However, if you have been convicted of fraud, you are likely to face charges that can range from having to pay restitution to a victim up to facing years in prison.
Potential consequences of fraud include:
- For a first offense, possible probation, up to a year in jail, or a prison sentence of three to 12.5 years.
- For an offense with one previous conviction, a prison term of between 4.5 and 23 years.
- For an offense with two previous convictions, a prison term of between 10 and 35 years.
The consequences of fraud depend largely on the specific circumstances of each case and the actual charges against you. For example, if an act of fraud involves greater than $100,000 in stolen property or assets, you are likely to go to jail if convicted.
In addition to these consequences, a fraud charge can remain on your record for years following the crime itself. A criminal record can affect your employment opportunities, housing opportunities, and several other aspects of your personal life.
Regardless of the potential consequences you are facing, a skilled attorney can help you combat them. Our Phoenix fraud lawyers at JacksonWhite Law are well-equipped to support you in building a defense against a harsh prosecution.
Our Process for Fraud Cases
At JacksonWhite Law, we have a detailed process for each case to maximize the chances of an outcome that promotes the minimum consequences. We begin every case with an initial consultation to understand the charges against you and get a complete picture of the circumstances surrounding your case.
From there, we’ll take all the following steps:
- Case Evaluation – During your consultation, we’ll gather all the details to understand our potential legal avenues and begin crafting a defense.
- Investigation – To gain a firmer grasp of the details of your case, we’ll perform a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding it by gathering additional evidence and seeking witness testimony.
- Legal Strategy Development – Once we understand all the details of your case, we’ll develop a winning strategy with the greatest chance of securing the best possible outcome.
- Negotiations – We’ll negotiate with the prosecution side to seek reduced charges and lightened penalties through a plea deal or settlement.
- Pre-trial Preparation – If we are unable to achieve a favorable settlement for you with the prosecution, we will help you prepare for trial by preparing all necessary documents and witnesses.
- Trial Representation – We will represent you in trial and any other court hearings to present evidence and dispute the prosecution’s case before the judge.
- Post-Trial Motions – After your trial, we will continue to advocate for you, even if that includes additional motions, appeals, or pursuing expungement.
Our team uses a detailed process to give us the greatest chance of securing the minimum consequences for you in your case. We treat every case with attention to detail, taking a personalized approach to build a unique strategy.
Potential Defenses Against Fraud Charges
If you’ve been charged with fraud in Arizona, then it’s important to build a strong defense to mitigate your risk of facing harsh penalties. Working with a skilled Arizona fraud attorney is the best way to increase your chances of reducing or defeating your charges.
Our Phoenix fraud lawyers here at JacksonWhite can help you use all the following defenses against fraud:
- Lack of Intent – Our attorneys can argue that the defendant did not intend to defraud another individual or entity.
- Insufficient Evidence – If there is not enough evidence to support a prosecution, our attorneys can challenge their grounds for a case and argue that the case should be thrown out.
- Mistaken Identity – Cases can occur where a defendant is incorrectly identified as the perpetrator of a crime, and we will fight for dropped charges in these cases.
- Duress or Coercion – If you were coerced into committing the crime under a threat, we can use this argument to advocate for reduced or dropped charges.
- Entrapment – Depending on the case, we may be able to argue that law enforcement induced the crime through illegal tactics.
- Good Faith Belief – If you were genuinely unaware that you committed a crime and believed your actions to be legal, we can use this in your defense to reduce charges.
The best defense depends on the unique circumstances and details surrounding your case. To understand your potential legal defenses, you should seek the support of an experienced fraud defense attorney.
What Outcomes Can You Expect if You Hire JacksonWhite?
Facing harsh charges alone can be difficult—when you work with a skilled criminal defense attorney, you increase your chances of a positive outcome. Our attorneys at JacksonWhite Law will pull out all the stops to advocate for you in and out of the courtroom in search of the best possible result.
Some of the outcomes our attorneys can help you achieve include:
- Case Dismissal – Our attorneys will build a defense to advocate for the complete dismissal of your case and the charges against you.
- Reduced Charges – We will use a defense to seek a reduction of your charges, like advocating for a misdemeanor if you are facing a felony.
- Plea Bargain – We will negotiate with the prosecution team to seek a plea bargain that minimizes your risk of harsh charges and promotes a lighter sentence.
- Acquittal – With an understanding of your case and a firm defense,
- Lesser Sentencing – In cases where a conviction may be unavoidable, we will advocate for lesser sentencing, such as reduced time in jail or probation instead.
- Restitution Agreements – If you are convicted, we will advocate for a restitution agreement as a penalty, as opposed to harsher penalties like jail time.
- Alternative Sentencing – With a strong defense, our attorneys can help you pursue alternative sentencing options, like community service or diversion programs instead of jail.
- Expungement or Sealing of Record – If you’ve already been convicted of fraud, our attorneys can help you seal your record under ARS to protect your reputation and future opportunities.
The outcomes you can expect ultimately vary depending on your unique case and the specific circumstances surrounding it. To gather a more accurate picture of your potential outcomes, you should seek the support of a skilled attorney. During an initial consultation, our attorneys here at JacksonWhite can help you understand all the potential legal avenues available to you.
Get Help from an Experienced Phoenix Fraud Attorney
Arizona fraud charges can come with significant penalties, from hefty fines to years in jail, depending on the nature of the crime. If you are accused of committing fraud, you should consult a skilled attorney as soon as possible to help you build a strong defense.
At JacksonWhite Law, our Phoenix fraud attorneys are well-versed in defending clients against fraud charges. We support clients from all around Arizona in combating their fraud charges and have a strong track record for doing so. We’ll provide a free initial consultation to understand your case and begin building a defense strategy.
Give us a call at (480) 467-4370 to schedule a consultation with our Criminal Law team to learn more about how we can help you push back against your charges.
Meet JacksonWhite Law
We are a full-service law firm focused on Criminal Defense.
As premier defense attorneys in Arizona, we’ve helped clients go from facing criminal charges to having less severe penalties, which can then makes it easier for our clients to move on after a criminal case. Some of the outcomes and results we’ve secured include:
• Reduced charges
• Dropped charges and cases
• Lessened penalties
• Probation, fines and classes instead of jail time
At JacksonWhite, we’re focused on the road ahead – not what’s behind you. We’ll make every effort to understand your case and offer legal solutions that can allow you to move forward and minimize the negative impact on your life. We’ve helped adults and juveniles facing all types of criminal charges, from DUI and drug crimes to violent crimes related to domestic violence, assault and battery. Our experienced attorneys will combine their knowledge, guidance and skill set to work toward the best possible outcome for you and your case.
