An NFT, or Non-Fungible Token, is a digital asset representing ownership or proof of authenticity of a unique item or piece of content using blockchain technology. Unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, which are fungible and can be exchanged on a one-to-one basis, NFTs are non-interchangeable and one-of-a-kind. As…
The Department of Justice investigates and prosecutes cases where large amounts of money is alleged to have been taken. Examples of white collar crimes are money laundering, bank, wire and mail fraud, tax evasion, insider trading, insurance fraud, mortgage fraud, bribery and embezzlement. Of course Homeland Security, the FBI, the…
By Maya Fouad Tax evasion is the most common federal tax crime and involves the failure to report taxes, reporting taxes inaccurately, or failing to pay taxes. Federal law defines the crime broadly; 26 U.S.C. 7201 states, “[a]ny person who willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat…
On May 17, 2021, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the establishment of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force. On March 10, 2022, Garland announced Associate Deputy Attorney General Kevin Chambers as the Director For Covid-19 Fraud Enforcement. In August, 2022, President Biden signed laws that give the Department of Justice and…
The federal criminal appellate process begins when a person is convicted at the district court. A conviction can occur after a jury trial or after a plea of guilty. If a person has entered in to a plea agreement, the person may have agreed to waive many of their rights…
Here is the definition from the statute, cut directly from the 11th circuit’s jury instructions: It’s a Federal crime to commit aggravated identity theft. The Defendant can be found guilty of aggravated identity theft only if all the following facts are proved beyond a reasonable doubt: (1) the Defendant knowingly…
The “Safety Valve” exception is a statutory exception to mandatory minimum sentencing laws. A safety valve allows a judge to sentence a person below the mandatory minimum term if certain conditions are met. The “Safety Valve” provision is a provision of law codified in 18 United States Code §3553(f). It…
Schools across the state of Georgia are facing an increase in threats of violence. It has led schools to step up security. Each and every threat must be taken seriously. Some of these threats turn out to be real, so officials have beefed up security everywhere, including for example, Fulton…
On April 11, 2022, the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta announced the creation of a new pretrial diversion court, the Accountability, Treatment, and Leadership Court “ATL Court“. It is formed with the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. Probation Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Defender Program,…
Manhattan federal agents arrested Archegos Capital Management founder Sung Kook “Bill” Hwang on April 27, 2022 on fraud charges, roughly one year after the investment firm’s huge losses back in March 2021. Department of Justice prosecutors are charging both Hwang and Patrick Halligan, the firm’s chief financial officer, with racketeering…