Kenneth Lucas II, 27 was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for his role in a "phishing" ring based in U.S. and Egypt and for overseeing a marijuana-growing operation that was featured on YouTube.

What is phishing?

The act of electronic communication (email, telephone) to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.

The electronic communication directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has.

The Web site, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user's information.

Lucas was sentenced Monday June 27, 2011 for growing marijuana at his home. He pleaded guilty to 49 counts of bank and wire fraud.

He was sentenced Friday for leading the domestic arm of an international hacking operation.  

Federal prosecutors said Lucas posted videos on YouTube showing an highly structured system of fans, indoor lights and ventilation equipment. Authorities found 100 plants at his Baldwin Hills home in October 2009.

One hundred people were charged with sending emails that pretended to be as legitimate requests from banks and asked that customers enter personal information on bogus websites. As part of the scam, millions of these so-called "phishing" messages were sent out using automated programs.

Victims in California, Nevada, North Carolina, Maryland and Egypt allowed hackers to access their bank accounts and lost more than $1 million.

When it comes to defending a Federal Criminal case in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the federal system, it is important to realize that cases are dealt with differently than in the State Court Criminal Justice system.  How federal criminal cases are investigated, filed, prosecuted and sentenced is something that should only be dealt with by a seasoned federal criminal attorney.

Our lawyers in Los Angeles are well seasoned in this area and we know the all the ins and outs of the federal system.

If you are being charged with a federal crime, it is very important that you obtain a defense attorney to help you get your matter under control.

Our lawyers in Los Angeles have unmatched credentials.

Contact us and set up a free face to face case evaluation.

A jury convicted former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Monday June 27, 2011 on 17 charges, including trying to sell or trade President Barack Obama's old Senate seat and attempting to shake down executives for campaign cash.

The convictions carry a combined maximum prison sentence of around 300 years, but legal experts say a federal judge is likely to send him away for around a decade, give or take a few years.

The jury of 11 women and one man finding Blagojevich guilty on 17 criminal counts he faced included charges of wire fraud, attempted extortion, bribery and conspiracy.

The verdict coming after his first trial ended last year with the jury deadlocked on most charges.

His defense team insisted that hours of FBI wiretap recordings were just the ramblings of a politician who liked to think out loud.

Responding to complaints from jurors in the first trial that the government presentation was confusing, prosecutors rationalized the case by getting rid of complicated racketeering charges. Charges were also dropped against Blagojevich's brother, Robert, his chief fundraiser who had been tried beside the former governor last summer.

Testifying in his own defense, Blagojevich claimed prosecutors had twisted his words recorded on secret government wiretaps and insisted he was guilty of nothing more than thinking out loud. What's more, Blagojevich's lawyers emphasized, none of the illegal plots he was accused of coming up with ever came to completion.

In the end, jurors agreed with prosecutors that Blagojevich had tried to sell the Senate in a variety of ways, including an attempt to steer it to U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in exchange for $1.5 million in campaign cash promised by Jackson supporters.

Blagojevich was also convicted of several other shakedowns involving misuse of his official powers to raise campaign cash. The victims included a race track executive seeking swift action on a bill to benefit his industry and the CEO of Children's Memorial Hospital seeking an increase in state-paid Medicaid reimbursement rates for pediatric specialists.

This investigation has been occurring since Blagojevich's arrest in 2008.

He was immediately impeached and removed from office.

Now he is likely headed to federal prison for at least a decade within months.

If you have a federal criminal case in the federal criminal court system in Los Angeles or anywhere in the nation...you must sit down with our defense lawyers in L.A. face to face and allow us to educate you on how the federal criminal defense system works and design a plan to put you back on the road to a normal life. 

Contact our lawyers in Los Angeles and set up a free face to face case evaluation.

Authorities have been seeking this man since 1995, and on Wednesday June 22, 2011 James "Whitey" Bulger, 81 was arrested in Santa Monica, Los Angeles and is expected to appear in Federal Court in Boston on Friday July 1, 2011.

Bulger is a Boston mobster who has engaged in numerous crimes.

Bulger led the violent Winter Hill Gang, a largely Irish Mob that ran loan-sharking, gambling and drug rackets in the Boston area.

Bulger started snitching for the Feds. He basically learned how to work the system while he was in federal prison for bank robbery. He studied military history and shaved years off his sentence by partaking LSD for a CIA sponsored mind control experiment.

He became a "master of strategy" using his role as a snitch and manipulator to build a crime empire.

Bulger has also been associated with a number of murders.

One victim was shot between the eyes in a parking lot at his country club in Oklahoma. Another was gunned down in broad daylight on a South Boston street to prevent him from talking about the killing in Oklahoma. Others were taken out for running afoul of Bulger's gambling enterprises.

Bulger faces the death penalty for these state charges.

Bulger faces federal racketeering charges in connection with murder,  conspiracy to commit murder, drug dealing,  extortion and money laundering.

The effort to find Bulger has been ongoing. There was a $2 million reward for Bulger, who rose to No. 1 on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list after Osama bin Laden was killed.
Now, at 81 years old, he has been caught and arrested and faces life in prison as well as the death penalty.

Bulger was an inspiration for the 2006 Martin Scorsese film The Departed.

If you or someone you know is facing a federal crime, our Attorneys in L.A. are here to help you. We understand the stress and trauma of having your life on the line becasue of some of the choices one has made. We are here to be your advocate and to help you.

Our federal defense attorneys have a combined 75 years of experience and we are familiar with the federal court system.

Contact our Los Angeles defense attorneys and set up a free face to face case evaluation.

Kathy Stamps, 39, of Rancho Cucamonga, a former U.S. Forest Service accountant, was the accountant at the Angeles National Forest offices in Arcadia, where she had access to funds contributed by private for road construction and other projects on federal lands.

From early 2002 through October 2004, Stamps fraudulently manipulated and fabricated Forest Service records that caused the U.S. Treasury to issue six refund checks totaling $1,421,390 to entities that Stamps controlled.

Stamps was convicted after a bench trial in September in Los Angeles federal court on three counts of mail fraud in the embezzlement scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

She was sentenced to four years in prison for embezzling more than $1.4 million from the agency.

In addition to the 48-month prison term, Stamps is ordered to pay restitution of $1,090,744, which represents the portion of the embezzled money that Stamps spent.

Stamps spent nearly $1.1 million on cars, jewelry, mortgage payments and plastic surgery. When the embezzlement was discovered, the government was able to seize $330,645 from Stamps' bank accounts.

Embezzlement is a crime that involves the unlawful conversion of property by someone who has been entrusted with it. The offender generally has some type of relationship to the victim, such as an employee, a fiduciary, a bank or a government official.

Embezzlement can be minor or major.

In order for a charge of embezzlement to be supported, prosecution must prove these four factors beyond a reasonable doubt:

•There must be a fiduciary relationship between the two parties.

•The defendant must have acquired the property through the relationship (rather than in some other manner)

•The defendant must have taken ownership of the property or transferred the property to someone else

•The defendant's actions were intentional.

The penalties depend upon the amount stolen. If convicted, the embezzler may receive a fine, spend time in prison, and may be required to do restitution (give back the money).

If you or someone you know is facing embezzlement charges, our Los Angeles Defense Lawyers have the experience to handle your case.

Contact our  Lawyers in Los Angeles and set up a free face to face consultation and we will immediately start on your case and help you get your criminal matter under control.

Moundir Kamil, a 41-year-old convicted bank robber, was accused of stealing a nearly $1.4-million tax refund check from billionaire Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren, a 79 year old Real Estate businessman. Bren is considered the 64^th richest person in the world and has an estimated net worth of $12 billion.

Kamil has pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.

Kamil obtained Bren's Social Security number, date of birth and other personal information and opened an account in Bren's name in February 2010 at an East West Bank branch in Cerritos.

Using a fake driver's license with Bren's name and Kamil's picture, Kamil was able to deposit a federal tax refund made out to Bren for nearly $1.4 million; how he obtained the check remains unknown. After depositing the check, he transferred amounts to different accounts with different names.

By the time authorities learned of the scheme in 2010, about $265,000 was left in certificates of deposit and cash and Kamil's identity was unknown.

He was identified after police released photos of a suspect at the bank, and a guard at the Santa Ana jail recognized Kamil as a former prisoner.

Kamil previously served 30 months in federal prison for six bank robberies in Orange County.
He is scheduled to be sentenced December 19 and faces up to 30 years in prison.

Bank fraud is generally defined as any crime that involves using fraudulent means to obtain money, assets or other valuables held by a bank.

The offender uses stolen personal information such as a debit card, personal identification number, bank account number, social security number or online passwords to gain unauthorized access to bank accounts.

The penalties for bank fraud depend on certain factors, but because bank fraud is a federal offense, anyone convicted can expect to pay for damages caused and money lost. In addition, fines upward of $1,000,000 could be imposed and prison term up t 30 years.

Therefore, if you are being charged with bank fraud, it is critical and necessary to obtain an attorney in Los Angeles to help you get your federal matter under control.

At Hedding Law Firm, our lawyers in Los Angeles are well seasoned and well experienced. We have handled thousands of criminal cases and have seen great results. Our credentials are unmatched.

Matthew Krane from Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges and to making a false statement on a passport application.

He was originally charged in 2009 along with Jeffrey Greenstein and Charles Wilk, two men who worked for Quellos Group LLC, an investment firm based in Seattle, Washington.

Krane did not pay taxes on a large sum of money that he earned from the scheme, The Sacramento Bee reported. Haim Saban, a famous media mogul, was enrolled in the plan by Krane, and was not aware of the illegality of the scheme.

Krane will pay approximately $23 million in back taxes to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as well as $18 million to Saban, according to the news source. Saban's family will donate the money it receives to charity.

Greenstein and Wilk were sentenced to four years in federal prison for their part in the crime.

Krane was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for helping run a tax shelter scheme.

Tax evasion is when a person illegally avoids paying taxes, fails to report, or reports inaccurately. The government imposes strict and serious penalties for tax evasion. The penalties are severe including prison terms and large fines.

If you are someone you know is facing tax evasion charges, our federal criminal defense lawyers are here to help you.

We are well seasoned and have a combined 75 years of experience.

At Hedding Law Firm, our  defense  attorneys in Los Angeles have the aggressiveness and the skill to adequately and effectively fight your case fro you.

Contact our criminal lawyers in Los Angeles for a free face to face consultation.

More than 47,000 pieces of fake Chanel, Polo, Gucci, Coogi and Dior clothing were discovered and seized in three different shipments from China between March 17, 2011 and May 11, 2011 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, all amounting to more than $14 million.

The first shipment contained 27,528 pieces of counterfeit clothing; the second shipment contained16,000 knit dresses in violation of the Gucci and Polo trademark; the third shipment contained 3,144 pairs of counterfeit Chanel women's and girls' woven pants.

The federal government has been very serious in monitoring counterfeit items in order to protect consumers as well as the economy.

Counterfeiting is a criminal offense when it involves an intent to defraud in passing off the counterfeit item and making a poor copy is no defense if the intent to defraud exists.

The penalties for counterfeiting items are severe and can result in 10 years or more in prison and extremely large fines.

If you are facing counterfeiting criminal charges, our criminal defense lawyers have the experience and skill to effectively help you.  

At Hedding Law Firm, our federal criminal defense attorneys in Los Angeles have a combined 75 years of experience and will fight on your behalf and help you get your matter under control.

Contact us for a free face to face consultation.

Azusa 13, a Latino gang, accused of attempting a racial cleansing of African Americans in Azusa, Calif., has been indicted for a federal rights conspiracy.

Azusa 13 started up a campaign of hate against African Americans-a two-decade crime spree in which African-Americans were harassed and attacked.

The Mexican Mafia gets a slice of the Azusa gang's profits from drug sales. In exchange, the Mexican Mafia allows them to maintain control of their territory and protects them within the prison system.

A federal grand jury issued a 24-count indictment last week that charges 51 defendants with a broad range of crimes including extortion, robbery and murder.

This gang has been active for about 20 years acting through violence, threats and intimidation. The violence the perpetrate targets rival gang members and also regular civilians. This has been a 20 year conspiracy to violate the civil rights of African Americans in the city.

Six members of the Azusa gang have been charged with civil rights violations for harassing and sometimes attacking African Americans, either to push them out of the city or to keep them from moving there.

The gang has about 400 members with 51 indicted June 7, 2011.  According to the indictment, 23 are already in custody and 12 fugitives are still being sought.

Most of the gang members indicted this week are facing possible prison sentences of at least 10 years if convicted.

10 years is a long time to be in prison. Most federal crimes have long term prison time and excessive fines. It is essential that you hire an experienced and well seasoned federal criminal defense attorney that knows all the ins and outs of the federal court system.

At Hedding Law Firm, our federal criminal defense lawyers have a combined 75 years of experience. We will aggressively and effectively fight on your behalf.

Contact our criminal defense attorneys for a free face to face consultation.

Christopher Weaver, 40-year-old man was arrested Friday for an assault that Redondo Beach police described as a fight between two transients along Pacific Coast Highway.

The incident leading to Weaver's arrest was reported at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday June 2, 2011 at Pacific Coast Highway and Avenue H near a Bank of America branch.

According to police, Weaver and another man were talking and the conversation turned into an argument which turned into a fight.

One or both of the men had been drinking and Weaver allegedly wielded a beer bottle during the fight.

Weaver ran off when the police arrived but was found the next day walking down a street near the area where the fight occurred.

He was taken into custody and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

The other man is being treated at a hospital.

An assault with a deadly weapon charge is what's known as a wobbler. A "wobbler" is a crime that, depending on the circumstances, prosecutors can choose to file as either a misdemeanor or a felony. With respect to a California aggravated assault charge, this decision is primarily based on three factors:

1. The type of weapon or instrument used to commit the alleged assault,

2. Whether the person whom you allegedly assaulted sustained an injury (and if so, the severity of the injury), and

3. The nature of the victim (that is, whether the alleged victim an officer, firefighter, or other "protected" person).

Many innocent people in California get wrongfully accused of assault with a deadly weapon and get a felony on their record when in actuality it is a misdemeanor or perhaps not even considered to be assault with a deadly weapon.

At Hedding Law Firm, our criminal defense lawyers will assess your situation and lay out all your options.

We will be your advocate and fight aggressively on your behalf.

Contact our Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys for a FREE face to face consultation.

Constantine Peter Kallas, 40, and his wife Maria Kallas, 41, have been convicted of multiple felonies in a bribery scheme that helped illegal immigrants to live and work in the United States.

Maria has been sentenced to 4 years in Federal prison on Thursday June 3, 2011 and Constantine was sentenced to 18 years in Federal prison in March 2011.

Both were accused of taking more than $400,000 in bribes in a conspiracy scheme including  workers compensation fraud, tax evasion, and  identity theft.

Constantine had misrepresented himself as an immigration judge/high ranking immigration official to entice bribes from people living illegally in the United States.

He was arrested in 2008 after being caught in action on videotape taking a $20,000 bribe from a government informant.

Bribery victims were offered counterfeit jobs at Shell companies the couple set up.

Workers' compensation fraud occurs when someone willfully makes a false statement or conceals information in order to receive workers' compensation benefits or prevents someone from receiving benefits to which they might be entitled.

Tax evasion is an illegal practice where a person, organization or corporation intentionally avoids paying his/her/its true tax liability.  Tax evasion is usually understood to be an act in which an individual intentionally chooses to not pay income taxes due. This act can be done by simply choosing to not file an income tax return, or choosing to not include information about taxable income on the filed return. 
Tax evasion can be considered to be fraud, and usually carries stiff penalties.

Identity Theft in Los Angeles has increased tremendously and the government has taken a very serious stance on the issue.  Identity Theft incidences increased by 11% from 2008 to 2009 altering the lives of 11 million Americans and the numbers continue to go increase. The government is well aware of the identity theft epidemic and is taking the problem very seriously.

Charges stemming from fraud are very serious and carry severe penalties. The federal government heavily monitors fraudulent schemes.

If you or someone you know is facing any type of fraud charge, our criminal defense attorneys at Hedding Law Firm have the experience and skill to defend you and fight on your behalf.

We are aggressive in our fight for you and have a drive that causes us to strive to get the best results possible for our clients.

Contact our Los Angeles Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys for a FREE consultation.

Destiny Young, 30, was arrested along with two men in connection with a series of robberies. She pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, including one for the shotgun slaying of an MTV music coordinator in the Mid-Wilshire area.

Young is charged with two counts of murder and six counts of second-degree robbery, with special circumstances of murder during a robbery and multiple murders that have her facing the penalty.

Co-defendant Jabaar Vincent Thomas, 26, is charged with three counts of second-degree robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a handgun.

Richard Edward Anderson Jr., 33, is charged with six counts of second-degree robbery.

Both men pleaded not guilty.

Young, Thomas and Anderson are all due back in court June 9, 2011 when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing.

The police chief said all three are suspected of taking part in the May 8 killing of MTV music coordinator Gabriel Aron Ben-Meir, 30, who was killed outside of his apartment building, and the April 30 killing of Marcelo Aragon, 35.

It is alleged that between April 29th and May 11th, these three individuals, armed with a shotgun, committed a series of 10 robberies and two homicides in the Mid- City, Koreatown, Pico-Union and Southwest area of Los Angeles.

The three were arrested May 11, 2011.

Beck said officers got a break in the case when they responded to a robbery that matched the suspects' method of operation.

Through investigation the police were led to the 3 that have been arrested and are awaiting trial.

Robbery

Robbery is a felony, punishable by a term in state or federal prison. Robbery is the direct taking of property, including money from a person through force, threat or intimidation.

California Penal Code Section 211 defines robbery, which reads:

"Robbery is the felonious taking of personal property in the possession of another, from his person or immediate presence, and against his will, accomplished by means of force or fear."

"Armed robbery"involves the use of a gun or other weapon which can do bodily harm, such as a knife or club, and under most state laws carries a stiffer penalty (longer possible term) than robbery by merely taking.

First degree robberyoccurs where the defendant acts in concert with two or more other people for the purpose of committing a robbery in an inhabited dwelling house, vessel designed for habitation, trailer coach, or the inhabited portion of any other building. Robbery in the first degree is a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 3, 6, or 9 years. In all other inhabited structures not defined above, the punishment is imprisonment in the state prison for 3, 6, or 9 years.

Second degree robbery encompasses all other types of robbery, which are punishable in the state prison for 2, 3, or 5 years.

Common Defenses for Robbery

• Duress
• Force used in Self-Defense
• Lack of Intent to Permanently Deprive
• Abandonment of the Property
• Property Not Taken from Person or their Presence

Murder

Murder is the crime of intentionally causing another person's death without legal excuse or justification.  Murder is a crime that falls under the category of criminal homicide. State and federal laws regarding homicide and murder are the most complex of any criminal laws. The classifications of homicidal and murder offenses are complex but are often divided into a handful of categories based on severity.

Penalties for murder can be life imprisonment with a possibility of parole.

These are some serious charges that can results in severe penalties. It is essential that if you or someone you know is facing criminal charges that you obtain an experienced and well seasoned criminal defense attorney that will aggressively fight on your behalf to obtain the best results possible.

At Hedding Law Firm,  our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys have seen it all when in comes to criminal cases in Los Angeles County.  We have tried or resolved more criminal cases in Los Angeles than just about any criminal defense firm in Los Angeles.

In order to be successful in Los Angeles, a criminal defense attorney must have experience, negotiating ability and trial skills.

Contact us for a free face to face consultation.

Denis Alberto Reyes, 18, who took part in a Long Beach street race that resulted in a crash that left four people dead last summer, was sentenced today to nearly 18 years in prison.

Reyes had pleaded no contest to four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle.

Reyes, driving a stolen 1997 Ford Taurus, was racing the driver of a black 2003 Ford Mustang on eastbound Ocean Boulevard when the two cars collided, causing the Mustang to spin out of control and smash into a large concrete sign in the median on August 22, 2010.

Reyes was arrested and the Mustang's driver, Jesus Heredia Calixto, 18, and passengers Delysa Castro, 16, Javier Marquez Jr., 19, and Candice Ann Bustamante, 32, all of Long Beach, were killed.

Reyes was 17 at the time of the crash. He turned 18 last November just before he was ordered to stand trial as an adult.

In order to convict you of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, prosecutors must also prove that you were driving under the influence that while you were DUI, you committed an additional wrongful act (a misdemeanor, an infraction, or a lawful act that might cause death), that you committed the additional act with gross negligence, and that your grossly negligent act caused the death of another person.

This charge is therefore limited to situations where in addition to driving under the influence, you commit an act that is likely to result in death to another.

The charge of gross vehicular manslaughter can result in 15 years to life in prison.

The unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle can result in prison time of not more than a year and/or a fine of $5000. The penalties can be more severe if priors are involved and of other types of vehicles, such as an ambulance van, are involved.

At Hedding Law Firm we will get to the bottom of your case and place every effort to obtain the best results possible by gathering and contesting all the evidence presented against you.

Our Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys have the experience, knowledge, and skill to confidently and aggressively fight on your behalf.

Contact us for a free face to face consultation.

Davoud Baniameri, 38, from Woodland Hills, pleaded guilty on Tuesday May 31, 2011, in Chicago, to one count of conspiring to illegally export missile components and radio test sets from the United States to his native Iran, without a license or approval from the U.S. Department of Treasury, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to export defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List from the United States without a license or approval from the U.S. Department of State, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.

Baniemeri was arrested on a criminal complaint on Sept. 9, 2009, and indicted three months later, along with co-defendant Andro Telemi, 40, of La Tuna Canyon, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Iran.

A superseding indictment in July 2010 named Baniameri, Telemi and a third defendant, Syed Majid Mousavi, an Iranian citizen living in Iran.

Mousavi contacted Baniameri sometime in October 2008 and requested that he purchase and export radio test sets from the United States to Iran, through Dubai, according to the U.S. government.

Baniameri agreed, and over the next few months negotiated the purchase of three Marconi radio test sets from a company in Illinois, according to the plea agreement.

Ultimately, Baniameri arranged for the radio test kits to be sent to him in California, where he shipped them to Dubai, for ultimate shipment to Iran, the plea agreement states.

At no time did Baniameri obtain or attempt to obtain a license from the U.S. government for the export of the radio test sets.

The plea agreement also states that, sometime before Aug. 10, 2009, Mousavi contacted Baniameri and requested that he purchase and export to Iran via Dubai 10 connector adaptors for the TOW and TOW2 anti-tank guided missile systems.

Telemi, also known as Andre Telimi and Andre Telemi, was released and is awaiting trial in federal court in Chicago.

Mousavi, also known as Majid Moosavy, remains a fugitive and is believed to be in Iran.

Baniameri, who remains in federal custody, faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 when he is sentenced on August 4^th.

These charges are beyond severe and charges that the Federal government takes very seriously.

If you are facing criminal charges such as conspiracy to commit a crime or any other crime, our Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys will help you and place every effort to get the best results possible for you.

Contact us for a FREE face to face