A failed business deal is not necessarily fraud. A broken promise is not automatically a federal crime. And losing an investor’s money does not, by itself, mean someone committed wire fraud. Yet business disagreements that begin as civil disputes can sometimes escalate into federal criminal investigations, exposing business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and other professionals to…
Continue reading ›What is a Target Letter? A target letter is a letter from a federal prosecutor informing you that you are the focus of a federal criminal investigation. It indicates that the government possesses substantial evidence linking you to a federal offense and is considering charging you. A target letter will contain key information for your…
Continue reading ›This week, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide if law enforcement needs to be more specific in their applications for search warrants for phones. At issue this week specifically is whether law enforcement can use broad geofence warrants to gather information about an alleged crime. In the case before the Supreme Court, the issue is…
Continue reading ›On June 30, 2025, the Department of Justice announced its largest-ever National Health Care Fraud Takedown, unveiling criminal charges against 324 individuals, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals across 50 federal districts and 12 state attorney general offices. The alleged schemes involved over $14.6 billion in intended losses—a record more than double the…
Continue reading ›Fraud is a concept that has been in the criminal justice system forever. Google defines it as an intentional deception used to gain an unfair advantage or benefit, often involving financial gains. How does the Department of Justice prosecute fraud? Below is a non exhaustive list of charges that the DOJ can bring. The FBI…
Continue reading ›As discussed in our prior blogs, the Department of Justice has already been prosecuting cases of larger-scale, outright PPP fraud. In August 2022, President Biden signed two bills into law that give the Department of Justice and other federal agencies more time to investigate and prosecute Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) cases.…
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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 IRS, Customs and Border Patrol…
Continue reading ›By Brandon Fitz Wire Fraud is a serious white-collar crime and is defined under 18 USC §1343 and states: 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, transmits or causes to be transmitted by…
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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, and will be run by…
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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 conspiracy, securities fraud and wire…
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