Fairfax, VA Mail and Wire Fraud Defense Attorneys

Knowledgeable Virginia Attorneys for Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud Charges in Fairfax

Mail and wire fraud are both prosecuted very seriously under federal law. If you have been charged with either crime in Virginia, it is critical that you reach out to a criminal defense lawyer who can represent your best interests in front of a judge. If convicted, you could be imprisoned for decades and burdened with insurmountable fines, so seeking out quality representation is a must for mitigating these felony charges.

At Robinson Law, PLLC, we have experience defending clients against allegations of complex white collar crimes. Our attorneys have 50 years' worth of combined experience and shared legal knowledge, which gives us strong insights into protecting our clients from harsh prosecution.

Mail Fraud

Mail fraud is defined as a plot or effort to defraud another person through the national postal system. This may include Ponzi schemes, wherein a sender requests a monetary investment through the mail with the promise of a large payout, or requesting money in the guise of a charity fund. You can be charged with mail fraud for schemes carried out through the United States Postal Service as well as private shipping companies like FedEx or UPS.

If you are convicted of mail fraud, you face a prison sentence of up to 20 years and fines ranging from the high thousands up to a million dollars. If the fraud involved a national emergency or a financial institution, however, the maximum prison sentence is increased to 30 years.

Wire Fraud

Wire fraud is similar to mail fraud, only instead of using postal services, the attempt to defraud must have taken place over "interstate wire communications," which may include phones or the internet. Robocalls, spam e-mails, and online extortion all constitute wire fraud.

Virginia has its own laws about computer fraud. If you use the internet or a computer to commit larceny or other types of property theft under false pretenses, you can be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor or a Class 5 felony, depending on the total value of the fraud. When an act of computer fraud goes beyond Virginia state lines, however, the federal government is more likely to get involved.

At the federal level, the penalties for wire fraud are identical to mail fraud.

Fighting Charges of Mail and Wire Fraud

Though a state or federal charge of fraud may seem grim at the outset, a knowledgeable attorney can protect your rights in court. Depending on the specifics of your case, our attorneys may be able to invoke different defenses against allegations of mail and wire fraud, such as:

• Lack of Intent: To secure a conviction for mail or wire fraud, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you had the intent to defraud another person. If the evidence does not prove that you purposely set out to deceive or steal from someone else, the charges against you could be dropped.
• Legitimate Practices: An attorney can argue that your conduct or tactics did not violate any laws about fraud. A common example is "puffing," wherein a salesperson will make hyperbolic claims about a product that are not intended to be interpreted as material facts.
• Statute of Limitations: If your alleged misconduct took place so long ago that the statute of limitations has expired, you can avoid prosecution.

Contact Our Fairfax, Virginia Wire and Mail Fraud Defense Lawyers

If you have been accused of defrauding another person through the postal system or electronic communications, you should get in contact with a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Robinson Law, PLLC represents clients in cases of white collar crime and numerous other criminal offenses, including charges at the federal level. To schedule a free consultation with our legal team, contact us online or call our offices at 703-844-3746.