We posed some questions about cryptocurrency using Bard (Google’s version of Chat GPT), First we asked, WHAT IS CRYPTOCURRENCY? Its response: Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. A cryptocurrency is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. A defining feature of a cryptocurrency, and arguably its most endearing…
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…
Continue reading ›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 any tax imposed by this title…
Continue reading ›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 other federal agencies…
Continue reading ›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 to appeal. If a person…
Continue reading ›The International Bar Association created a “President’s Task force on Cybersecurity”. Meg Strickler was appointed to serve on this prestigious task force and helped draft Cybersecurity Guidelines. Today, it is all the more important to be weary of a data breach if you own and operate a small business. Data breaches can interrupt operations, cause…
Continue reading ›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 transferred, possessed, or used another…
Continue reading ›Written by Maya Fouad When a police officer is conducting a roadside investigation of a suspected drunk driver, a variety of mechanisms are employed as indicators of intoxication. Law enforcement are trained to conduct specific behavioral tests and use certain devices designed to detect levels of intoxication. Officers are often additionally trained to make more…
Continue reading ›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 specifically allows a judge to…
Continue reading ›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 County Schools implementing license plate…
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