Fraud-related crimes are defined as deliberately deceiving another in order to obtain money, property, goods or services. Fraud is considered one of the most common crimes in both corporate and private environments. Furthermore, many fraudulent crimes will span across the state lines, affecting victims in cyber space. What this means is that if you are arrested for a fraud crime, you may be facing a federal conviction.

Common Types of Fraud

• Mail and wire fraud – mail fraud refers to any fraudulent activity that takes place using the United States Postal Service or private commercial carrier. Often mail and wire fraud crimes will include pyramid schemes, non-delivery of products and white collar crimes. Wire fraud is any fraudulent activity that takes place through the telephone, fax machine, internet or other communication method. Wire fraud can include pyramid schemes, telephone marketing schemes and internet auction scams.
• Check fraud – forging or counterfeiting checks, using checks that are in someone else’s name or writing checks that you know will bounce.
• Credit card fraud – using someone else’s credit card/debit card to pay for goods and services. Credit card fraud often takes place over the internet.
• Mortgage fraud – fraudulent behavior relating to your mortgage payments or attempting to obtain a mortgage based on inaccurate information
• Tax fraud and tax evasion – using fraudulent material to benefit on your taxes or deliberately omitting material on your tax return.
• Securities fraud – fraudulent behavior relating to securities and investments.
• Insurance fraud – using fraudulent material to benefit through insurance. This may include worker’s compensation, medical assistance or social security insurance cases.

Fraud Penalties

If you are convicted of fraud, your sentence will depend on a number of factors including:

• The severity of the crime
• Whether you are charged in a state or federal court
• Your criminal history/behavior
• The losses suffered by the victims
• The total value of goods stolen through fraud
• Your defense strategy and plea

You may be able to walk away with a non-guilty sentence or minimal penalties depending on your situation. However, those who are convicted of fraud-related crimes can face years in prison, hefty fines, community service, restitution to the victim and will most likely incur a permanent criminal offense on their criminal background check. This black mark on your criminal record can negatively impact your ability to own firearms, to travel overseas, to obtain loans from financial institutions and to find a decent career in the future.

Take Action Now

If you are being investigated for any fraud-related crime, then it is important to seek legal representation sooner rather than later. Even if you have not been arrested but are receiving suspicious phone calls or police activity, it is best to contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer to help you with the legal implications. The Law Offices of William K. Bulmer II can assess your case and determine the best defense strategy for your situation. Do not wait until it’s too late – contact our law offices for a free consultation at 612-384-7003.

Shoplifting is a leading criminal offense across the state of Minnesota, affecting thousands of retailers every day. Because of this, many retailers are taking extreme measures to stop shoplifters which have resulted in more and more shoplifting arrests.

Shoplifting Charges

There are a number of activities that constitute as shoplifting. Stealing an item from a store is the most common definition of shoplifting but other shoplifting offenses can include switching price tags and exchanging items of greater value. Some shoplifting schemes are performed by individuals while others are part of a team effort and strategic plan. If you are caught shoplifting, regardless of whether you have been accused of stealing a pencil or a wide screen television, then you could be facing a criminal conviction.

In most instances, if this is your first offense, shoplifting will be charged as petty theft and, if convicted, you will receive a misdemeanor or a gross misdemeanor charge. This can result in up to 90 days in prison as well as a $3000 fine. You may be able to reduce this sentence and, in some instance, you may be put on probation instead of facing prison time. However, if the amount of stolen goods is over $400 and/or this is then you may be facing a felony charge of grant theft or larceny. Felony convictions come with heftier fines, heavier prison time sentences and other serious implications.

Shoplifting and Juveniles

Shoplifting is one of the leading criminal offenses committed by juveniles. It is unknown why juveniles and shoplifting tend to go hand in hand but it has been suggested that this is due to the amount of free time, the lack of a dependable income and the presence of boredom and/or peer pressure. Furthermore, most shoplifting crimes will take place around the holiday seasons, especially during Christmas when the malls are busier and thus the surveillance may not be as reliable.

Juveniles will often assume that a shoplifting charge will result in a simple slap on the wrist or perhaps a few hours of community service. This is usually not the case. If you are convicted of shoplifting, you can expect this charge to impact your entire life. After all, a criminal offense will remain on your record forever. This could cause problems down the road. You may have trouble finding decent work, getting into a good school, applying for a student loan or finding a rental apartment. After all, your permanent record can, and often is, checked during all employee, student and tenant leasing agreements.

Take Action Now

If you or someone you love has been accused of shoplifting, you will need to contact an experienced Minnesota shoplifting attorney right away. At the Law Offices of William K. Bulmer II, you will not only get a compassionate, qualified and experienced criminal defense attorney, but you will also get the assurance that your case is in the best legal hands. A shoplifting conviction can negatively impact your entire life – do not take this risk with your future. Contact the Law Offices of William K. Bulmer II today for a free, no obligation consultation at 612-384-7003.

Domestic violence, also referred to as domestic assault, is a very serious and often complicated criminal offense. The reason is because most criminal domestic violence cases are based on a ‘he-said-she-said’ argument. Domestic violence occurs within a household and can involve any number of family members including:

• A spouse or former spouse
• Parent , child, grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousin
• Persons related by blood
• Persons presently living together, or persons who have lived together
• Persons who have children together or who are expecting a child together
• Persons involved in a romance and sexual relationship

Domestic Assault Crimes

Domestic violence is defined as the following:

• Committing as act with intent to cause feat in a family or household member of immediate bodily harm or death. This can include threats.
• Intentionally inflicting bodily harm against a family or household member
• Attempting to inflict bodily harm again a family or household member.

Under the Minnesota state definition of domestic violence, you may still be charged with domestic violence even if a violent act did not occur. If you are facing a domestic assault accusation, it is critical that you act fast and seek legal representation as soon as possible. Many people will hope that the whole mess will just go away on its own; this is rarely the case. You need to act fast in order to avoid criminal convictions.

Civil Implications

There are a number of factors that will affect your domestic violence accusation. These are often referred to as aggravating factors and may include:

• The severity of the accusation
• Your past criminal history, especially pertaining to assault and violence
• Whether a weapon was used
• Whether substantial bodily harm was caused
• The damage done to the victim
• Whether a child was involved

Domestic violence convictions will fall under the categories of misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony. You may be facing prison time, fines, domestic violence counseling, restitution to the victim, a psychological evaluation, restraining orders, anger management, alimony claims, custody battles, property claims and an Order for Protection.

Keep in mind that just because you are facing a domestic violence charge does not mean your conviction is already decided. There are a number of defense strategies that can ensure you the best outcome possible. You may be able to use an alibi defense, a credibility defense or a self-protection defense. It is important to discuss your case and your options with a qualified Minnesota criminal defense lawyer.

Take Action Now

If you or someone you know has been arrested for domestic violence, you will need to contact a qualified assault lawyer. The Law Offices of William K. Bulmer II can provide you with the legal assistance, compassion and knowledge you want when fighting against this serious criminal conviction. A domestic violence criminal charge can negatively impact your entire quality of life and further complicate any charges down the road. Don’t risk your future – contact our Law Offices today for a free consultation at 612-384-7003.