Scott Dority, 54, from San Marino, will serve just over 10 years in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme to defraud banks using straw borrowers with fake documents to obtain about $9 million in loans for homes and luxury cars.

Dority pled guilty on March 13, 2012 to wire fraud, conspiracy, aggravated identity theft and two counts of tax evasion.

Dority recruited people with good credit to act as straw buyers to purchase residential homes or expensive vehicles.

Dority then created false bank statements, fake pay stubs and fake tax returns to convince a lender that a buyer had sufficient assets and income to repay the loans.

Dority also admitted that the fraud involved $4 million in losses to financial institutions that issued mortgages and approximately $5 million in losses for sports cars and recreational vehicles.

Now he will serve 121 months in federal prison and an additional mandatory two-year prison term for aggravated identity theft as part of his sentence.

Fraud is a very serious crime that is taken very seriously by the federal government. Our Federal Attorneys in Los Angeles have federal court room experience and we have a defense strategy that is persuasive, aggressive, and effective.

If you are facing a federal crime, do not hesitate in contact our very well known and well respected Federal Lawyers in LA.

Call us and set up a free face to face consultation.

De Rong Shang, aka Jason Shang, 50, of San Gabriel, California, was convicted on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and 17 counts of mail fraud.

From about December 2006 to April 2007, Shang conducted a conspiracy and scheme to defraud casinos in Las Vegas. Shang and co-defendant Yuli Eaton, 47, of Redlands, California, recruited people to open bank accounts funded by Shang.

The recruits then applied for lines of credit and then transferred the money from their accounts to Shang's account. The recruits then withdrew chips from their lines of credit ("markers") and played baccarat at the casinos. The recruits were instructed to use a process known as rolling the chips to make it look like they were actually losing money, when they were actually just hiding chips and transferring them to other co-conspirators. The recruits then applied for higher lines of credit and so forth.

The recruits then would leave the state or country and receive a monetary amount for each line of credit.

Shang and Eaton defrauded three local casinos of $1,011,400.

Shang faces up to 360 years in prison and $4.5 million in fines and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2012.

To be charged with a federal crime, especially fraudulent crimes such as mail fraud or wire fraud are taken very seriously by the federal government and can result in long term imprisonment.

Our Los Angeles Federal Attorneys have federal court room experience and we can represent you effectively if you are facing a federal crime. We do whatever we can for our clients to get the best possible results. Our aggressive yet tactful approach has achieved many of our former clients amazing results.

If you or someone you know is facing a federal crime, contact our Federal Lawyers in LA and set up a free case evaluation so that we can discuss things further in detail.

John Tran, a former Rosemead mayor and El Monte Union High School board member pled guilty on Tuesday March 20, 2012 to a federal charge of soliciting and accepting more than $10,000 in bribes from a developer.

Between 2005 and 2007, while project approvals were pending by Rosemead, Tran would periodically visit the developer and demand money. The developer became an informant to the federal investigation.

The developer gave Tran $10,000 in cash payments and a check for $3,200 made out to "cash".

At one point, the contractor asked why Tran had done nothing in exchange for the bribes, and Tran said he had prepared a staff report and preliminary design approval that suggested the project was moving forward in the approval process.

Once a rising star in San Gabriel Valley politics, Tran in 2009 was voted out of office and the project never received final approval.

As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. attorney's office agreed not to impose additional charges of extortion and obstruction of justice.

Tran faces up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 6, 2012.

Being charged with a crime in federal court has great consequences. The federal government takes crimes such as bribery, forgery, conspiracy very seriously and the penalties are quite harsh.

Our Los Angeles Federal Attorneys are very well versed and experienced when it comes to handling criminal cases in federal court. We are familiar with federal laws and federal court room procedures and we can and we will help you if you are being charged with a federal crime.

Contact our Federal Lawyers in LA and set up a free face to face consultation.

Rudy Kurniawan, 35, was arrested Thursday March 8, 2012 at his home in Arcadia by FBI agents.

Federal authorities allege that in 2008, Kurniawan consigned at auction at least 84 bottles, $600,000 worth, of counterfeit wine he claimed were from the Domaine Ponsot winery in France.

He claimed other bottles were produced between 1945 and 1971 from the Clos St. Denis vineyard of Domaine Ponsot, but in actuality the winemaker did not produce wine from that vineyard until 1982.

Kurniawan allegedly tried to repeat the fraud in London in February, using a straw seller to auction 78 bottles of Burgundy wine purported to be Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and expected to sell for $736,500.

He also allegedly obtaining millions of dollars in loans and attempting to sell $1.3 million in counterfeit French Burgundy.

Kurniawan is being charged with fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Counterfeiting and fraudulent crimes are taken very seriously by the federal government and can result in long term prison sentences such as up to 20 years.

Our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys have the experience, skill, and knowledge in handling cases in federal court. Our  Federal lawyers in L.A. are familiar with federal court room procedures and laws and we can effectively and competently represent you.

If you are facing a federal crime, do not hesitate and contact our Los Angeles Federal Lawyers and set up a free face to face consultation.

Kil Jun Lee, 71, a former Korean law enforcement officer, was arrested at his apartment by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday March 7, 2012 for allegedly trying to smuggle nearly 40,000 phony erectile dysfunction pills into the United States through Los Angeles International Airport.

Lee has been charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods in federal court.

Customs officers at LAX found more than $700,000 worth of phony erectile dysfunction pills in Lee's luggage when he returned from a trip to Korea on February 25^th.

According to the criminal complaint, Lee's luggage contained 29,827 counterfeit Viagra tablets, 8,993 counterfeit Cialis pills and 793 phony Levitra tablets, all concealed in aluminum-foil-wrapped packets.

Counterfeiting and smuggling counterfeit items is a very serious charge that the federal government takes very seriously. A conviction can result in more than 10 years in prison.

Our Los Angeles Federal Criminal Attorneys have the experience and knowledge when it comes to federal cases and federal courtroom procedures/laws.

If you are facing a criminal charge in federal court we can help. Our Criminal Defense Attorneys are experienced, aggressive, persistent, and dedicated.

Contact our  Los Angeles Federal Lawyers and set up a free face to face consultation.

Edmound Nasiri, 26, was arrested Monday February 20, 2012 after his vehicle allegedly collided with, and then landed on top of, a fire hydrant on San Fernando Road.

When the officer arrived at the scene they found a number of fraudulent gift cards in Nasiri's pocket.

Nasiri has smoked a narcotic and was feeling sick so he stated that he could not get out of the truck. The police had to pull him out of the truck.

Nasiri was unable to maintain a conversation or answer any questions. As the police checked his pockets for identification, they found the fraudulent gift cards.

The officer swiped each card through a credit card skimming device and allegedly found that they were re-encoded with other people's names.

Nasiri was taken into custody on suspicion of identity theft.

Identity theft can be charged in federal court and have some very serious consequences. Crimes charged on federal level generally have harsher consequences than crimes charged on state level.

Our Federal Criminal Attorneys have the knowledge and experience to handle cases in the federal court room. Our Federal Lawyers guarantee our dedication and persistence in handling your case.

If you are facing a federal crime, do not waste any time and contact our Los Angeles Federal Defense Lawyers and set up a free face to face consultation and we will discuss things further in detail.

Edward Aslanyan, 38, from Sherman Oaks, who is already serving time for assault was sentenced Monday February 6, 2012 to 77 months in federal prison for conning Medicare out of millions of dollars for unneeded diagnostic tests, electric wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment after pleading guilty in April to conspiring with others to defraud Medicare.

In addition to the 77 months in prison, he was also ordered to pay $10 million and serve three years of supervised release following his 77 month sentence.

Excessive fines and imprisonment result from a conviction of Medicare fraud. Due to the severity of the penalties that result from a Medicare fraud conviction, it is important that you contact an experienced federal defense lawyer to get on your case.

Our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys have all the necessary experience that equip us to adequately and competently represent you if you are facing a Medicare charge or any other federal crime.

Contact our  Federal Lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face consultation.

Richard Alan Cohen, 63, from Sherman Oaks, California, pled guilty to more than 24 felony counts related to telemarketing scam.

Cohen was sentenced on Monday January 30, 2012 to 153 months in federal prison behind bars and ordered to pay millions of dollars in restitution for his part in the telemarketing scheme he ran with his son that cheated about 1,000 victims nationwide out of millions of dollars.

Cohen's 36-year-old Daniel Cohen of Calabasas, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison last week.

Joshua Hoffman, 41, a third defendant from Malibu, California, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2010 when he pled guilty in this scheme and also a fraud case that victimized various companies and organizations that thought they were purchasing advertising in magazines.

About 10 years ago, the Cohens formed several companies including Eurobrand, LLC, doing business as Euromints; Samuel & Cohen Media, LLC; Mintech International Inc.; and Rig Leasing Inc.

Claiming that these businesses were successful and generated large profits, The Cohens solicited money from investors by using a team of salespeople who worked in a boiler room in Calabasas.

Reality was that the Cohen companies were not successful, the stock certificates issued by the companies were worthless, and the money received was used to pay for the Cohens' luxurious lifestyle.

Fraudulent crimes charged in federal court are extremely serious and have extremely heavy consequences. Being evident from this current case, if you are charged with fraud in federal court you can spend more than 10 years in federal prison.

Our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys are experienced in handling such cases and if you are facing a federal crime we are ready, willing, and available to help you.

Our experience, skill, and legal strategy guarantees our competent and aggressive approach.

If you are facing fraud or any other crime in federal court, contact our  Los Angeles Federal Lawyers and set up a free face to face consultation.

Rhenee Sharmell Foster, 46, and Demetria Foster Gutierrez, 52, from Palos Verdes ran a company based out of Marina Del Rey that paid the bills for Tae Bo fitness instructor Billy Blanks.

The two women withdrew money from BG Star Productions accounts more than 70 times from March 2007 all the way through March 2010.

Foster and Gutierrez have been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for stealing more than $1.1. million from Blanks' accounts and have been ordered to pay $1,119,000 in restitution.

When a crime, such as theft, is charged on a federal level, the consequences are more serious. As experienced Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys we use our knowledge and legal strategy to get the best results possible.

Our criminal lawyers in L.A. are aggressive, persistent, and dedicated to our clients. We can and we will help.

If you are being charged with a crime in federal court, do not waste any valuable time and contact our Federal Defense Attorneys in Los Angeles and set up a free face to face consultation.  

Gerald M. Shaw, a former Newport Beach attorney, was convicted last year in an investment fraud case.

Shaw was indicted in 2007 on federal fraud and money laundering charges.

Shaw solicited investments from people by falsely stating that the money would be used to trade European bank instruments. Instead, the money was used to pay personal and business expenses.

Shaw pleaded guilty last year to one count of wire fraud as part of a plea bargain. He was then disbarred in July of 2011.  

Gerald M. Shaw was indicted in 2007 on federal fraud and money laundering charges for a scheme in which he and another man allegedly took millions of dollars from victims who were promised rates of return as high as 40% a week.

In addition to the 70-month sentence, Shaw was ordered to pay $4.3 million in restitution.

Gregory De Lavalette of Rancho Santa Fe who allegedly worked for Shaw also pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing.

Shaw has been sentenced to 70 months in prison.

Each defendant could have received a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Federal crimes are more serious than state level crimes and have harsher consequences. Our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys have the experience and knowledge to help you if you are facing a federal crime.

Our Federal Lawyers are aggressive and have one goal in mind: to get our clients the best possible results.

If you or someone you know is facing a federal crime contact our Federal Defense Attorneys in Los Angeles and  set up a free face to face consultation.  

Hilary Neiman, 32, a former Maryland attorney has been sentenced to five months in prison and seven months of home detention for her role in what federal prosecutors said was a "baby-selling ring." She was also ordered to forfeit $133,000 in profits and set aside $20,000 for restitution.

Neiman pleaded guilty along with two other defendants, San Diego attorney Theresa Erickson and "gestational carrier" Carla Chambers, of Las Vegas, in San Diego Federal Court to wire fraud and other charges.

The other two defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in 2012.

Erickson, the organizer of the ring, with the help of Chambers, hired women to go to Ukraine to be implanted with embryos created from the sperm and eggs of donors.

The women were paid between $38,000 and $40,000 and couples were charged between $100,000 and $150,000 for a baby.

Erickson would then file court documents falsely claiming that the baby was part of an existing pre-pregnancy agreement between the woman carrying the fetus and the couple; this allowed the couple to be listed as the parents of the child on the birth certificate.

Erickson knew that this was a requirement by law to prevent the "buying and selling (shopping) of babies.

Being charged with a federal crime has more serious and severe consequences than being charged with a state level crime.

Our Los Angeles Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys know and understand federal laws and federal courtroom procedures.

Our Lawyers in Los Angeles have the necessary experience and skill to adequately and competently represent you.

If you are facing a federal crime, do not waste any more valuable time and contact our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys to set up a free case evaluation and we will start preparing immediately.

Federal authorities have seized 150 Web domain names which were allegedly used to traffic counterfeit brand-name merchandise.

Illegal sales of a host of counterfeit products, including professional sports jerseys, golf equipment, DVDs, shoes, handbags and sunglasses were allegedly involved.

An ongoing investigation which began in 2010 called "Operation in Our Sites" targeted online counterfeiting and led to the current 150 seized domain names in addition to the 350 that had been seized since 2010.

Federal law enforcements made undercover purchases and if and when the trademark holders confirmed that the products were counterfeit, seizure orders for the domain names for the websites were obtained from federal judges.

Since 2010 a total of 350 domain names have been seized for selling counterfeit products.

Counterfeiting is a serious federal crime with some harsh penalties. You may face a term of years in prison, heavy fines, and restitution. OurLos Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys are here to do everything we can to avoid such harsh penalties.

We have the skill and experience to genuinely help you if you are facing counterfeit charges or any other federal crime. Our lawyers in L.A. are well known and well respected all throughout Los Angeles County and we are knowledgeable eon all federal courtroom procedures and federal laws.

Contact our Los Angeles Federal Lawyers and set up a free face to face consultation and we will get started on your case immediately.

Brenda Bautista Hurtado, 26, admitted to stealing nearly $110,000 from U.S. Bank from two elderly customers while she was employed at its Arroyo Grande branch.

Hurtado pleaded guilty in August to one count of theft by a bank employee. She specifically admitted that in June 2010 she stole almost $100,000 from two customers' accounts, as well as another $10,000 in cash from the bank's vault in June 2010.

The investigation in this case revealed that Hurtado secretly accessed U.S. Bank's computer system and changed the contact information for the accounts of two bank customers and then closed these accounts and took out cashier's checks for the balance of each account.

Hurtado was sentenced Monday November 21, 2011 to 15 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $109,071 in restitution.

Being convicted for a federal crime is serious and carries harsher penalties than a state level crime. Our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys have the experience and the knowledge concerning federal laws and procedures.

We are confident that we can competently and efficiently represent you if you are facing a federal crime.

Contact our Federal Lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face consultation.

Mandy Borquez, 33, a former accounting assistant at Antelope Valley College has been arrested and accused of embezzling $500,000.

Borquez could face charges of grand theft and identity theft.

After a 10-month investigation, the sheriff's commercial crime investigators were contacted by school administrators after noticing discrepancies in their accounting.

She is being held at a jail in Lynwood in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Her appearance is scheduled for December 14, 2011.

Embezzlement charges are often charged at the federal level and may result in long term imprisonment and excessive fines as part of restitution depending on the amount of money or assets embezzled.

Our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys have the knowledge and skill necessary tor represent you in an embezzlement case. We are familiar with all federal laws and procedures and our defense lawyers are well known and well respected all throughout Los Angeles .

If you or someone you know is facing embezzlement charges,contact our  Los Angeles Federal Lawyers and set up a free face to face consultation.

Jedidah "Jed" Duarosan, 37, from Maui, was arrested in her home and has plead not guilty on November 3, 2011 to criminal charges relating to her alleged operation of a Ponzi Scheme.

She was indicted by a Federal grand jury for allegedly operating an investment fraud scheme targeting Maui residents and keeping the money for personal use, without the knowledge or consent of the investors, totaling about $106,000.

Duarosan appeared in Federal court and was released on bond after entering her plea. A trial has been set for January 3, 2012.

If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for the charged crime is 10 years.

Federal fraud charges are very serious and have life changing consequences. An experienced and aggressive Federal Defense Lawyer is what   makes all the difference.

Our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys have the knowledge and skill necessary to represent you in any federal matter you may be facing. We are familiar withal federal laws and federal court room procedures.

If you or someone you know is facing a federal offense contact our  Federal Attorneys in Los Angeles and set up a free face to face consultation.

Dr. Kenneth W. Johnson, 44 and other people associated with a Glendale clinic, a total or 17, were arrested today for allegedly running a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud government health programs by needlessly prescribing Seroquel and other anti-psychotic medications and then repeatedly billing the government.

The scheme was associated with Manor Medical Imaging Clinic and a variety of San Gabriel Valley pharmacies participated in a "prescription harvesting" operation. Losses amounted to at least $7.3 million to federal health programs,

Manor was allegedly a bogus clinic authorized to make claims to Medicare, and Dr. Kenneth W. Johnson was employed to write prescriptions.

Prosecutors also allege the clinic had close relationships with pharmacies and a fraudulent drug wholesale company that was used to channel prescription drugs back to the stores participating in the scheme.

The primary pharmacy involved in the case, Huntington Pharmacy in San Marino, saw a huge increase in claims to Medi-Cal, going from just under $45,000 in 2009 to nearly $1.5 million in 2010.

Prosecutors allege that the owners of Huntington Pharmacy were depositing cash totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars into their personal and business accounts.

Manor allegedly recruited beneficiaries, including veterans, the homeless, low-income patients and the elderly, whose beneficiary information was used to bill the health-care programs for millions of dollars worth of illegal medical services and prescriptions for the pricey anti-psychotic drugs.

The drugs did not go to the beneficiaries but were redirected to black market wholesalers and back to the pharmacies where defendants re-labeled, re-packaged, and re-dispensed the medications to then submit news bills to Medicare and/or Medi-Cal as though the drugs had never been dispensed.

As a result of this scheme, more than $18 million in fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare and Medi-Cal, which paid out approximately $7.3 million.

All 17 defendants named in the federal criminal complaint are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.

Healthcare fraud or any other fraud is a serious federal offense that the Federal government takes very seriously. The Feds are in hot pursuit of fraudulent schemes and there have been many busts recently.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of these busts, our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys are here to help you. we have the experience, skill, and knowledge of federal laws and the federal system. Our Los Angeles Lawyers are ready, willing, and able to defend your case and we desire to be your advocate!

Contact our Los Angeles Federal Defense Attorneys and set up a free case evaluation and we will discuss all your options and start preparing for your case immediately.

Guadalupe Valencia, 47, admitted running a Ponzi scheme that took in almost $7 million from more than 150 victims.

Valencia was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on Monday October 24, 2011 after a 5-4 hearing for two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and two counts of tax fraud.

Valencia was also ordered to pay $5.2 million restitution.

Her scheme was ran out of the Downey offices of companies she called Real Estate & Loan Consultants and R.E. Equity Group, Inc.

Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2009, Valencia promoted two types of investment pools, with one supposedly funding loans to purchase real estate, and a second said to be short-term loans to businesses and promised high rates of interest (8-10% in as little as 45 days).

Valencia victimized 150 victims and admitted to providing worthless promissory notes and admitted that the investment did not generate any profit.

In addition to the mail and wire fraud charges, Valencia pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns. Valencia 's scheme raised about $7 million with an actual loss amount of $5.2.

If you or someone you know is facing federal fraud charges, you may face a long time in prison and huge fines. As yourLos Angeles Federal Criminal Defense Attorney, we guarantee to do everything we can to get you the best possible results.

Our lawyers in L.A. will fight aggressively on your behalf and assert all and any applicable defenses on your behalf.

Contact our  Los Angeles Federal Attorneys and set up a free face to face consultation.

Lenny Dykstra, 48, a one time World Series hero, entered his plea of no contest to three counts of grand theft auto and to one count of filing false financial statements.

Dykstra and two associates were running a scheme to lease high end cars using fraudulent information and using a phony business, Home Free Systems, for credit purposes.

Dykstra's accountant, Robert Hymers, pleaded no contest earlier this year to a charge of identity theft in connection with his role in the scheme.

Dykstra's friend Christopher Gavanis pleaded no contest to a charge of filing a false financial statement.

Hymers and Gavanis have not yet been sentenced.

Dykstra originally faced 25 criminal counts. With all these charges put together, he was facing up to 12 years in prison, but under his plea deal with prosecutors, remainder of the charges were dismissed.

Dykstra still faces two additional and unrelated criminal prosecutions; destroying some $400,000 in property that was part of his bankruptcy case.

In August, he was charged in Los Angeles with exposing himself to a number of women who answered online employment advertisements he posted.

He is perhaps best remembered by Mets fans for the 1986 season, when he struck a walk-off, game-winning home run in Game Three of the National League Championship Series.

Dykstra now faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison when he appears before a judge for sentencing in January.

A conviction of these charges can turn your life around and a federal criminal defense attorney can help you minimize harsh consequences of such charges.

Our Los Angeles Federal Attorneys are here to give you wisdom on how t go about your case. We will break down all your options and assist you throughout the whole process. Our Lawyers in Los Angeles are here to be your advocate!

Contact our  Los Angeles Federal Defense Lawyers and set up a free face to face consultation.

Haoren Ma, 47, owner of New Arrival Immigration Service on Valley Boulevard, and his employee, Minghan Dong, 55, from San Gabriel, were indicted Friday on federal immigration fraud charges for allegedly helping hundreds of Chinese nationals file bogus U.S. asylum applications claiming they were persecuted for their Christian beliefs, charging $6,500 per person.

The money was for the purpose of coaching asylum seekers in providing identical false accounts of Chinese authorities that raid and break up underground church meetings and arrest and torture the attendees.

The men also provided written materials and audiotapes tutoring immigrants in Christian precepts.

Dong and Ma each face up to 85 years in federal prison and a $2.5-million fine.

Immigration fraud is a serious federal offense that carries extremely harsh penalties. Our federal criminal defense attorneys in Los Angeles have the knowledge and experience to competently handle your federal case.

If you or someone you know is facing immigration fraud or any other federal crime, our federal defense lawyers are available immediately to give you a free face to face consultation and discuss all your options with you.

Contact our  L.A. federal defense attorneys and set up the free case evaluation.

14 people, including an 88-year-old doctor and two operators of a Los Angeles clinic were charged with running a scheme to illegally obtain and distribute OxyContin pills through insurance fraud. The federal indictment stemmed from of a two-year investigation.

Clinic operators Mike Mikaelian, 43, of East Hollywood and Anjelika Sanamian, 52, of Van Nuys allegedly organized the scheme.

The operation was allegedly run out of Lake Medical Group, where doctors reportedly wrote prescriptions for the pill to uninsured patients who did not need it. Defendants also allegedly obtained the pills from pharmacies by fraudulently billing public insurance programs such as Medicare.

The pills were then resold on the street for $23-$27 per pill, adding up to millions of dollars.

The charges also allege that defendants stole identities and Medicare beneficiary information of others to obtain the OxyContin.

The defendants all face charges of drug conspiracy or healthcare fraud. Mikaelian is also charged with wholesale distribution of OxyContin. The maximum sentences range from 10 to 40 years.

Medicare/Insurance fraud is a serious federal offense that is becoming more and more common. A conviction of insurance fraud results in long term imprisonment and can change your whole life. As federal defense attorneys, our duty to our clients is to fight and protect their rights.

Our Los Angeles lawyers know how the federal system operates and know how the prosecutors think. We use this knowledge coupled up with our skill and experience to our client's benefit to get the best results possible.

If you or someone you know is facing insurance fraud charges or any other federal crime, contact our  Los Angeles Federal Defense Lawyers and set up a free face to face consultation immediately.

Raj Rajaratnam, the Galleon Group founder was convicted in May on 14 counts of conspiracy and securities fraud following a two-month trial.

Rajaratnam is now sentenced to 11 years in prison, the longest sentence ever for an insider-trading case.

The evidence mainly relied on was the electronic wiretaps to catch and arrest Rajaratnam, who was found guilty of making more than $50 million in profits by acting on tips from contacts at firms such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc., McKinsey & Co. and Google Inc.

Prosecutors tried to have the court impose a sentence of 15 to 20 years, but the judge was lenient with the sentencing due to Rajaratnam's advanced diabetes and other factors.

Since his arrest in October 2009, more than 20 others involved in the case have cut deals with prosecutors.

Rajaratnam must report to prison within 45 days to serve his 11 year sentence.

Insider trading and fraud are serious offenses that the Federal government does not take lightly. A conviction results in a long prison sentence and excessive fines. Our Los Angeles Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys are here to do everything we can to help avoid these harsh penalties.

As your defense lawyer in L.A. we will assert any and all defenses on your behalf and strive to get you the best possible results.

If you or someone you know is facing a federal crime charge, do not waste any time and contact our  Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers and set up a free case evaluation.

A once respected business man in the Jewish community of the Iranians in Southern California, Ezri Namvar, 59, has been arrested and sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for a wire fraud Ponzi Scheme.

Namvar and his companies took investments from middle class Iranians, many of whom invested their life savings ranging from $10,000 to $300,000. The investments went downhill along with the economy back in 2008.

Namvar then went bankrupt and was accused by investors of creating a Ponzi Scheme in which the losses amounted to about $500 million.

During the trial of Namvar and his partner, co-defendant Hamid Tabatabai, 63, the jury concluded after only 3 hours of deliberation, guilty an all four counts of wire fraud in theft on $21 million.

The money invested by and belonging to the victims was to be held in escrow until a transaction could be executed on the new property purchase.  However, instead of holding the money Namvar, with the assistance of Tabatabai, used the victims' money for illegal and undisclosed purposes, including paying off creditors and investors of Namvar's investment company, Namco Capital Group, Inc. (NCG).

Being convicted of wire fraud or conducting a Ponzi scheme is a serious federal offense and can result in a long term prison sentence.

Our federal criminal defense attorneys are available to handle your federal case for you whether it is wire fraud or any type of fraud. We are aggressive and persistent in striving to get our clients favorable results.

Contact our Los Angeles federal lawyers for a free face to face consultation. If you are facing a federal offense, there is no time to waste as the penalties are severe; contact us today!

Three Southern California senior citizens, two 71-year-old women and an 82-year-old man, went to the emergency room after they unknowingly ate marijuana-laced brownies at a friend's funeral that got them nacreous and dizzy.

No one at the funeral was told that the brownies being served contained marijuana, which were allegedly being offered in memory of the friend who ate marijuana laced brownies for medical reasons.

In a separate incident, robbers posing as customers called a medical marijuana dispensary Friday and asked for a delivery. A man and woman arrived and took $1500 worth of marijuana.

Due to such incidents and growth of medical marijuana dispensaries, Federal authorities have enhanced their pursuit of medical marijuana dispensaries and announced on Friday October 7, 2011 that they plan to shut down on marijuana sales and growing operations throughout the state.

If you or someone you know is being charged with a federal drug crime involving marijuana or any other drug, our  federal criminal defense lawyers at Hedding Law Firm have the experience, skill, and knowledge to take on your case and competently represent you.

Contact our  Los Angeles defense attorneys if you are facing a federal crime and set up a free face to face consultation.

We are confident in our fight and persistence to get you the best possible results in any federal criminal charge you may be facing.

Lauren Baumann, 43, from Downey, California pleaded guilty Monday October 3, 2011 to a federal wire fraud charge and scheming to collect $1 million from victims who believed their money was going toward real estate investments and Christian rock concerts.

Baumann had a business called Stewardship Estates LLC, in which she tried to solicit loans for telling investors that the money would be used for Christian events and for real estate (to buy houses and fix them up for profit).

Baumann used the money for personal expenses, one being paying rent for a mansion in Downey and private school tuition for her kids.

Baumann had been convicted of securities fraud in Texas in 1999. More than 24 investors suffered losses totaling close to $560,000.

A sentencing hearing is set for December 12, 2011.

Wire fraud is a charge that the government takes very seriously. The maximum sentence for wire fraud is 20 years in prison, and that is why an experienced and aggressive federal defense attorney is necessary to help avoid such harsh penalties.

Our federal criminal defense lawyers will do everything possible to get you favorable results. We will assert all and any defense that are applicable to you. We will aggressively fight for you.

If you or someone you know is being charged with wire fraud or any type of fraud, contact our federal criminal defense lawyers in Los Angeles and set up a free face to face consultation.

Our federal defense attorneys have the skill, knowledge, and persistence to competently defend you if you are facing a federal crime charge. 

Contact us today for a free face to face consultation.

An IRS investigation centered on two companies, Old Quest Foundation in Fontana and De la Fuente and Ramirez and Associates in Rancho Cucamonga has resulted in a federal grand jury indictment of 55 people.

The indictment alleged a scheme by Old Quest in which more than 400 false tax returns were filed, resulting in millions of dollars in payouts, including one refund check for $1.2 million. Old quest is accused of preparing and filing false tax returns.

Company representatives allegedly gave presentations with people posing as attorneys, accountants, certified public accountants and former IRS employees, telling audiences that the United States was bankrupt and owned by England and as a result the customers were required to make contributions as large as $10,000 to pay a percentage of the refunds received.

The indictments charge the owners of the company and there are still some fugitives that authorities are pursuing.

Many of the 55 indicted in connection with an alleged tax fraud scheme involving the filing of false income tax returns seeking more than $250 million in bogus refunds, are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.

Others, who are accused of making false claims against the United States, face a maximum sentence of five years.

Tax fraud or any type of fraud especially towards the government is an extremely serious federal offense and can result in a long term prison sentence.

Our federal criminal defense lawyers have the experience and skills that qualify us to competently and aggressively defend you if you are facing fraud charges or any other federal charges.

We know how the federal system operates and we use all our knowledge, skill, and legal strategy to get you results in your favor.

Contact our Los Angeles federal defense lawyers for a free face to face consultation.

One of two ex-Los Angeles building inspectors caught taking bribes in a government sting, Raoul Joseph Germain, 59, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on Monday September 19, 2011 for accepting thousands of dollars for signing off on construction work he never inspected. The Judge also ordered Germain to pay $6000 in restitution.

Germain and the second ex-inspector, Hugo Joel Gonzales, 49, both pleaded guilty in federal court in May of 2011 to bribery. Gonzales is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

When the FBI began an undercover investigation of the inspectors last year after an informant came forward claiming that city of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety inspectors took cash bribes in exchange for permits.

The informant, who was then an undercover agent, posed as a residential contractor gave cash to Gonzales last year and Gonzales allegedly said that he would drive by once in a while to take a look, and would not even stop or get out of his car.

Germain received the low end of the sentencing but it does not always work this way and that is why if you or someone you know is being charged with a federal crime, an experienced federal criminal defense attorney is essential.

Our Los Angeles federal defense lawyers have the skill, knowledge, and expertise to effectively defend you in any federal matter. We are familiar and comfortable with the federal system and we know how the prosecutors act and think. Our  lawyers in L.A. use all our knowledge fully to your advantage.

If you or someone you know is being charged with a federal crime, contact our federal defense attorneys immediately for a free face to face case evaluation.

Dung Thi, 23, who owned Le Nails, was sentenced on Monday August 29, 2011 for stealing the pin numbers for customers' debit cards and using them to withdraw money from ATM's.

Thi was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison.

Thi's boyfriend, Sang Dahn, played some role in the scheme and will stand trial at a later date. Dahn will be charged with bank fraud charge and obstruction for allegedly demanding Thi to delete data from the storage device and ordering her not to name people in photographs taken in California who may be connected to the case.

The scheme netted $77,309 in withdrawals in Wisconsin and California, but under federal sentencing guidelines the intended loss was calculated to be $413,500 - $500 for each of 827 debit card accounts and passwords that police found on a portable data storage drive found in Thi's purse.

At Hedding Law Firm, our  defense attorneys have handled thousands of federal cases, many of which involve fraud.

Our Los Angeles lawyers are familiar and knowledgeable when it comes to the federal system. We know how to prosecutors work and think and we strategize and contest all the evidence presented against you.

Contact our lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face case evaluation.

We will get started no your case immediately!.

Eliott Jay Dresher, 64, a Chatsworth man who allegedly gather in about $13 million by falsely telling friends and relatives they were financing a NASCAR apparel business is set to plead guilty today to federal mail fraud charges.

Dresher was indicted on fraud charges in December 2009 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles in connection with the scheme, which operated from 1998 to October 2009.

Dresher had solicited money from 26 families, many of whom were his relatives or close friends, with promises that the money would be used to finance a business in which he purchased NASCAR apparel and sold the merchandise to "big box" retailers such as Costco and Ross Stores. He guaranteed monthly returns to all the investors.

In 2008 when his scheme was about to collapse, Dresher silenced his victims by falsely telling them that he had more than $70 million in various bank accounts but was having difficulty accessing the funds, so he had hired two attorneys to get the investors' money back from one of the banks.

The indictment states that Dresher caused his victims to invest at least $10 million with him, most of which was ultimately lost.

Dresher has been held in federal custody without bond since his arrest two years ago.

Fraud is a serious federal offense and can result in prison time and excessive fines. Our federal defense lawyers have handled many federal cases involving fraud. We have the knowledge and experience to effectively defend your case.

The federal system can be intimidating but ourLos Angeles defense lawyers are here to take over your case and fight on your behalf.

If you are facing fraud charges or any other federal offense, contact our  lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face consultation.

Stig Dahl , a 37-year-old Norwegian man has been arrested on Wednesday August 24, 2011 in Hermosa Beach on suspicion of using fraudulent bank accounts to buy cars and properties across the country.

That Wednesday afternoon, Dahl was in the process of attempting to buy a 2007 Mercedes with a personal check. The car dealership contacted the police.

When Dahl was contacted by authorities at his Manhattan beach home he was leasing, a stolen 2011 Dodge Charger in the garage that he illegally purchased in Texas was discovered. The owner of the Manhattan Beach home told Detectives that Dahl alsa agreed to purchase his Hermosa Beach home for $3 million.

Detectives believe Dahl has scammed banks, car dealerships and property owners out of more than $200,000.

According to investigators, Dahl created a false development business, S & D Development, which he used to attract potential victims into believing that he was a legitimate businessperson.

Dahl has admitted to using fraudulent checking accounts to purchase cars and properties in different states.

Dahl is being held on $20,000 bail. Dahl faces felony burglary, fraud and theft charges and is at risk of spending a long time in prison.

At Hedding Law Firm, our federal defense lawyers have knowledge, experience, and the qualifications to effectively represent you.

We know how the federal system works and how the prosecutors think. Our Los Angeles defense lawyers are here to defend you and help you get your life under control.

If you have been charged with fraud, theft, or any other crime contact our lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face consultation.

On August 11, 2011, Lisa Sackie, 47, of Solvang, California, entered a guilty plea to mail fraud charges arising from her embezzlement of $1.1 million from Santa Barbara Bay Foods (SBBF).

Sackie was serving as the vice president of SBBF from 2004-2010. She supervised the accounts payable activities, signed checks on behalf of SBBF, handled regulatory matters, and was the director of human resources.

Sackie allegedly wrote out business checks for her own personal expenses and personal gain.  She concealed her actions by causing SBBF's accounting system to reflect that checks had been made payable to entities doing legitimate business with SBBF but in actuality the checks had been made payable to Sackie or to other entities for Sackie's benefit.

Sackie also used an employee of SBBF to mail embezzled SBBF checks, that were made payable to American Express, in satisfaction of Sackie's personal credit card obligations.

Sackie's scheme resulted in an embezzlement of $1.1 million and she now faces a maximum statutory sentence of 40 years in federal prison.

Sackie is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2011 by United States District Court.

If you are facing embezzlement charges or any fraud charges, the penalties can be severe. You may pay restitution and face a very long time in prison. These are very serious charges, especially to the Federal government.

Our federal defense lawyers in Los Angeles are here to help you and defend your case.

If you are facing embezzlement charges, fraud charges, or any federal crime, contact our Los Angeles defense attorneys at Hedding Law Firm and set up an immediate free face to face consultation.

Chan Duong, age 45 and Phung Ca "Polly" Long, age 41, an Iowa couple, who continued their criminal conduct even after they pleaded guilty to federal charges, were sentenced August 1, 2011 on multiple federal charges including health care fraud, tax evasion and harboring illegal aliens.

 Duong received a 78-month prison term after a guilty plea to harboring illegal aliens and filing a false 2007 federal income tax return.

Long received a 30-month prison term after a guilty plea to harboring illegal aliens and Health Care fraud.

In the plea and sentencing agreements, Long and Duong admitted to criminal activity which included wire fraud, mail fraud, health care fraud, filing false federal income tax returns, hiring illegal aliens, money laundering, and harboring and transporting illegal aliens. 

Long admitted she knowingly made false statements to obtain over $28,000 of Medicaid benefits. Duong filed false federal income tax returns resulting in a tax loss of over $400,000 over a four-year period.

The pair operated the Peony Chinese Restaurants in Vinton and Tama, Iowa and routinely hid their personal income and business earnings from state and federal authorities, paid their employees in cash to avoid taxes, purchased property to house the illegal aliens that worked for them, and hired, harbored and transported illegal aliens as a principle means of operating their restaurant.

Following their 2010 guilty pleas, the couple continued their previous criminal activity, including failure to collect and pay sales tax to the State of Iowa at their restaurants in Vinton and Toledo, Iowa.

A second set of search warrants, issued in May, 2011, for their home and businesses found evidence of money laundering, mail fraud and state sales tax evasion.  During the search federal agents and local police seized seven 1-Troy ounce gold bars, 86 pieces of gold jewelry, 20 designer purses and wallets worth an estimated $8,000, more than $95,000 in cash and a gas electric generator used to harbor aliens at nearby properties

Duong was sentenced to 78 months' imprisonment.  A special assessment of $200 was imposed.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. 

Long was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment.  A special assessment of $200 was imposed, and she was ordered to make $22,695.98 in restitution to Iowa Medicaid.  She must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. 

There is no parole in the federal system.  A person convicted of a criminal tax offense, in addition to whatever sentence is imposed, is also required to pay the tax determined to be due, as well as interest and civil penalties that may be assessed.

Our Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys have unmatched credentials. We have knowledge of the federal system and have the skill and ability to effectively defend your criminal situation.

Our lawyers in L.A. have handled thousands of federal and state cases and have seen great results.

Contact our attorneys in LA. and set up a free face to face absolutely confidential consultation.

Los Angeles County probation officer, Angenette Thomas, 43, was arrested Thursday July 7, 2011 on federal wire fraud charges for allegedly bilking the federal financial aid system out of at least $18,000 by using a fake identity.

She allegedly obtained student loans and grants to attend several local colleges, including Platt College, University of La Verne, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State San Bernardino and National University in La Jolla.

After defaulting on many of these loans, she applied for more financial aid in March 2009 and failed to mention her defaulted loans.  

She was rejected for the financial aid so she allegedly used a fake name and social security number to re-apply claiming she never attended college and earned no income in 2008.

According to the federal charges, Thomas received more than $135,000 in federal student aid with at least $18,000 being obtained by alleged fraud.

Thomas was due to appear in a federal court Thursday afternoon in Riverside.

If convicted of wire fraud, she could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

At Hedding Law Firm, we have been involved with Federal cases in Los Angeles that involve hundreds, thousands and even millions of dollars.

 Federal authorities do not usually get involved in a case unless a substantial loss is claimed.  It is imperative that you come see our Lawyers in Los Angeles immediately...before a mistake is made that costs you money, stress and your freedom. 

If you are serious about hiring a top level skilled Federal criminal defense attorney, contact our  Attorneys in L.A. and set up a free face to face consultation.

Two women, Maricela Barajas, 41, and Juliana Menefee, 50, were arrested Tuesday July 5, 2011 in their Diamond Bar homes on suspicion of operating a scheme that defrauded a number of people out of an estimated $1.5 million.

Also arrested in the case was Eva Perez, 51, who serving an 11-year state prison sentence after pleading guilty in San Bernardino County court last year to multiple felony counts of grand theft in connection with the same scheme.

Barajas, Menefee and Perez each face at least 20 counts of grand theft and securities fraud. If convicted on all counts, each faces up to 20 years in state prison.

As members of the Armstrong Elementary School PTA, the women were able to gain the trust of many of their victims during school events and at social functions.

The victims believed they were investing in the AltaDena Dairy company, a firm the women said would get high rates of return because they had exclusive rights to distribute those products at Disneyland, Disney Hotels and to small retailers.

Victims were told they would receive returns of up to 100%. They were assured that even if they did not get the promised return on their principle, their cash investment would be guaranteed.

Besides Chino and Diamond Bar, the victims include residents of Gardena, Granada Hills, Lawndale, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Norwalk, Pacoima, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Redondo Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Fe Springs, South Gate, Torrance, Whittier, Wilmington and Salt Lake City.

The suspects racked up investors and cash between 2008 and 2010. But eventually people began to ask questions and began demanding payment.

The ponzi scheme began to collapse.

Barajas and Menefee are being held in the Los Angeles County Jail and will be arraigned at the Pomona Superior Court on Thursday, July 7, 2011.

If you or someone you know is facing fraud charges, our federal defense lawyers in Los Angeles will immediately get on your case.

Our Attorneys in L.A. have a combined 75 years of experience and have dealt with a number of cases involving fraud.

Contact our  Los Angeles attorneys and set up a free face to face consultation.

***What is a Ponzi Scheme

A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to separate investors, not from any actual profit earned by the organization, but from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors.

The Ponzi scheme usually entices new investors by offering returns other investments cannot guarantee, in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent. The perpetuation of the returns that a Ponzi scheme advertises and pays requires an ever-increasing flow of money from investors to keep the scheme going.

The system is destined to collapse because the earnings, if any, are less than the payments to investors. Usually, the scheme is interrupted by legal authorities before it collapses because a Ponzi scheme is suspected or because the promoter is selling unregistered securities.

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.

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.

Larry P. Corbi, 36, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and has been sentenced 2 years in federal prison and $356,644 in restitution.

Corbi defrauded banks by seeking home equity lines of credit at the same time from four different federally insured financial institutions in 2008. He applied for four home equity lines of credit in amounts ranging from $122,000 to $191,000 from Washington Mutual Bank, GMAC ResCap, Countrywide Bank F.S.B. and Metlife Bank/PHH Mortgage Corp.

In November 2007, he bought a $620,000 home in Granada Hills in November 2007.

Corbi did not disclose to each financial institution that he was concurrently applying for other credit lines that would also be secured by the Granada Hills home. Three of the four lines were approved and funded.

In total, he obtained $672,144 in loan proceeds, which included $200,000 he borrowed to buy the Granada Hills house. Upon foreclosure, the banks that had loaned him money suffered a $356,644 loss that Corbi has to pay back as restitution in addition to his 2 year prison sentence.

Fraud is intentionally lying in order to induce someone to rely on the lie perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.

The federal bank fraud statute criminalizes the conduct of any party who knowingly executes, or attempts to execute a scheme or trick to defraud a financial institution, by means of false or fraudulent representations.

Bank fraud may also be tied to other crimes such as wire fraud or forgery.

Therefore it is essential that you contact a federal criminal defense attorney that is well seasoned and experience if you have been charged with bank fraud or any other type of  fraud.

At Hedding Law Firm we have successfully handled thousands of federal and state cases over many years of successful criminal defense practice in Los Angeles.

Contact us and set up a FREE consultation with our  Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys and let us help you and fight on your behalf.

A Los Angeles Unified school police officer accused of faking his own shooting that triggered a massive manhunt in the West Valley in January was indicted today by a grand jury on six counts.

Jeff Stenroos, 30, pleaded not guilty to five felony counts of insurance fraud, workers' compensation fraud, preparing a false police report, preparing false documentary evidence and planting false evidence. He is also charged with one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting an emergency.

The indictment, returned by a grand jury on Thursday and unsealed today, added insurance fraud and planting evidence to the charges leveled against Stenroos in March, but dropped one count of perjury.

The city is seeking $361,289 in restitution for the 10-hour manhunt that sent more than 550 officers pouring into an eight square-mile area of the San Fernando Valley with dogs, assault weapons and helicopters.

LAUSD is also seeking $58,000 in medical costs incurred after Stenroos was treated and released from Northridge Medical Center the day of the alleged fraud. He also checked into Henry Mayo Hospital in Santa Clarita the next weekend after complaining of ongoing pain.

He was charged withinsurance fraud because he sought treatment for injuries he never sustained.

The district is still calculating total costs for keeping 9,000 students in lockdown at nine campuses that included El Camino Real High School and Hale Middle School.

Stenroos, of Santa Clarita, said he had been shot in the chest by a car burglar while he was on duty at El Camino Real High School in West Hills on Jan. 19. A Good Samaritan spotted Stenroos lying on the ground next to his patrol car and used its radio to call for help.

Stenroos, an eight year veteran of the force, reported that the burglar had escaped on foot, prompting law enforcement to lock down the schools late into the evening and close streets to local residents.

LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division later determined there was no shooting at the school and that Stenroos had made up the evidence.

The indictment eliminates the need for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for Stenroos to stand trial.

Stenroos is on paid administrative leave from the district.

He is scheduled to return to Van Nuys Superior Court on May 18. If convicted, he faces up to five years, eight months in state prison.

Insurance Fraud Penalties

Insurance fraud accounts for billions of dollars in lost taxpayer dollars and results in increasingly high insurance rates for everyone. The penalties for insurance fraud charges are significant and are typically stepped to reflect the seriousness of the fraudulent claim as well as the number of claims made in the particular charge. Each different insurance fraud will be treated as a separate count or charge, so rings that have operated several scams often have hefty penalties even on a first arrest.

Possible Penalties

• Jail time
• Significant fines
• Probation
• Parole
• Restitution
• Community service

If you or someone you know is being charged with any type of fraud, you need a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney to fight on your behalf.

At Hedding Law Firm we will aggressively and diligently fight on your behalf.

Contact us for a FREE face to face consultation.

Darcey Greenfield, 39, a former Los Angeles police officer was charged with defrauding a handful of San Bernardino County people in an investment scam had been running real estate investment schemes for years and is suspected of bilking at least $2 million from fellow LAPD officers and other investors.

She surrendered Wednesday May 11, 2011 to investigators from the San Bernardino County district attorney's real estate fraud unit.

She faces multiple felony charges, including the sale of false investment securities, the sale of securities without a license, and grand theft.

The criminal charges filed by San Bernardino County prosecutors stem from investments Greenfield allegedly solicited in 2007 and 2008.

Greenfield purportedly persuaded victims in San Bernardino County to invest their savings, totaling $265,000, in investment securities.

Greenfield told the victims that the investment money would be used to help homeowners in foreclosure, according to the district attorney's office. The victims were promised they would get back a high rate of return and their principal, but they received nothing.

She is suspected of taking money from victims outside of San Bernardino County as well. San Bernardino County officials allege she collected more than $3 million from Los Angeles residents.

At least 13 LAPD employees are known from Greenfield's court records to have invested with her, including four detectives and five supervising sergeants. Police officials say they suspect that the total was higher because officers were probably pooling their money and investing under a single name.

At least three officers, including Greenfield, have declared bankruptcy. Others went further into debt to pay back friends and relatives who gave them money to invest.

Greenfield is being held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Her bail is set at $1,020,000.

Securities fraud, also known as investor or stock fraud, covers a range of activities that violate federal and state laws pertaining to buying, selling and trading securities. The most common forms of securities fraud include:

•Misrepresentation (presenting misleading or false information to investors about a company, or its securities)

•Accounting fraud (manipulating or falsifying books or records to misrepresent a public companies assets and liabilities)

•Insider trading (buying, selling or trading securities based on information that is not readily available to the general public)

Securities fraud is governed by both federal and state laws, and legal actions can be brought about by private investors or by a government agency, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Violations of federal securities laws are treated as serious offenses that can carry both civil and criminal penalties. Criminal investigations can lead to felony convictions that carry penalties of up to 20 years' imprisonment.

Theft offenses are covered by the Penal Code.

Penal Code §484 is misdemeanor petty theft for the taking of property valued at less than four hundred dollars. 

A petty theft charge is a misdemeanor offense and can result in a 1 year jail sentence and restitution.

If the value is over four hundred dollars, the charge is grand theft under Penal Code §487. 

Grand theft is a "wobbler" meaning it can be prosecuted as either a felony or a misdemeanor. Either way grand theft is a serious charge and can result in lengthy jail sentences.

If you or someone you know is being charged with any type of fraud, theft, or any other state or federal crime, we at Hedding Law Firm have the qualifications and experience to defend you and fight on your behalf.

Contact us for a FREE face to face confidential, no obligation consultation.

Darcey Greenfield, 39, a former Los Angeles police officer was charged with defrauding a handful of San Bernardino County people in an investment scam had been running real estate investment schemes for years and is suspected of bilking at least $2 million from fellow LAPD officers and other investors.

She surrendered Wednesday May 11, 2011 to investigators from the San Bernardino County district attorney's real estate fraud unit.

She faces multiple felony charges, including the sale of false investment securities, the sale of securities without a license, and grand theft.

The criminal charges filed by San Bernardino County prosecutors stem from investments Greenfield allegedly solicited in 2007 and 2008.

Greenfield purportedly persuaded victims in San Bernardino County to invest their savings, totaling $265,000, in investment securities.

Greenfield told the victims that the investment money would be used to help homeowners in foreclosure, according to the district attorney's office. The victims were promised they would get back a high rate of return and their principal, but they received nothing.

She is suspected of taking money from victims outside of San Bernardino County as well. San Bernardino County officials allege she collected more than $3 million from Los Angeles residents.

At least 13 LAPD employees are known from Greenfield's court records to have invested with her, including four detectives and five supervising sergeants. Police officials say they suspect that the total was higher because officers were probably pooling their money and investing under a single name.

At least three officers, including Greenfield, have declared bankruptcy. Others went further into debt to pay back friends and relatives who gave them money to invest.

Greenfield is being held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Her bail is set at $1,020,000.

Securities fraud, also known as investor or stock fraud, covers a range of activities that violate federal and state laws pertaining to buying, selling and trading securities. The most common forms of securities fraud include:

•Misrepresentation (presenting misleading or false information to investors about a company, or its securities)

•Accounting fraud (manipulating or falsifying books or records to misrepresent a public companies assets and liabilities)

•Insider trading (buying, selling or trading securities based on information that is not readily available to the general public)

Securities fraud is governed by both federal and state laws, and legal actions can be brought about by private investors or by a government agency, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Violations of federal securities laws are treated as serious offenses that can carry both civil and criminal penalties. Criminal investigations can lead to felony convictions that carry penalties of up to 20 years' imprisonment.

Theft offenses are covered by the Penal Code.

Penal Code §484 is misdemeanor petty theft for the taking of property valued at less than four hundred dollars. 

A petty theft charge is a misdemeanor offense and can result in a 1 year jail sentence and restitution.

If the value is over four hundred dollars, the charge is grand theft under Penal Code §487. 

Grand theft is a "wobbler" meaning it can be prosecuted as either a felony or a misdemeanor. Either way grand theft is a serious charge and can result in lengthy jail sentences.

If you or someone you know is being charged with any type of fraud, theft, or any other state or federal crime, we at Hedding Law Firm have the qualifications and experience to defined you and fight on your behalf.

Contact us for a FREE face to face confidential, no obligation consultation.

After twelve days of deliberation and two months of trial, a jury found Manhattan, New York's former hedge fund entrepreneur Raj Rajaratnam guilty on all 14 counts of conspiracy and securities fraud after a high-profile trial at the heart of a federal hit on insider trading.

The government accused Rajaratnam of making more than $50 million in illicit profits by trading on inside information given to him by associates at some of America's corporate standard bearers, including Google, Hilton and Goldman Sachs.

Lawyers for Rajaratnam, whose tenure at the helm of hedge fund operator Galleon Group made him a billionaire, argued that he traded stocks based on legitimate research employing information that was already public.

During the nearly seven-week trial prosecutors presented extensive evidence, including text messages, trading records and wiretapped phone calls.

Rajaratnam is set to be sentenced on July 29.
Each of the nine securities fraud counts carries a maximum prison term of 20 years.

Rajaratnam is free until sentencing on a $100 million bail.

Securities Fraud

Securities fraud, also known as investor or stock fraud, covers a range of activities that violate federal and state laws pertaining to buying, selling and trading securities. The most common forms of securities fraud include:

•Misrepresentation (presenting misleading or false information to investors about a company, or its securities)

•Accounting fraud (manipulating or falsifying books or records to misrepresent a public companies assets and liabilities)

•Insider trading (buying, selling or trading securities based on information that is not readily available to the general public)

                Insider Trading

Insider trading is the use of nonpublic information in making a securities transaction or the distribution of such information for the purpose of influencing a transaction. Anyone who gives or receives confidential information that leads to a profitable stock trade could be found guilty of insider trading. Guilty parties may include the employees or directors of a public company, who may make trades themselves or convince private investors to do so; the investors who receive the information and make the trade; or independent parties that may hold information that is material to a company's success or failure.

Insider traders maybe subject to criminal prosecution.

Securities fraud is governed by both federal and state laws, and legal actions can be brought about by private investors or by a government agency, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Violations of federal securities laws are treated as serious offenses that can carry both civil and criminal penalties.
Criminal investigations can lead to felony convictions that carry penalties of up to 20 years' imprisonment. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) may impose civil fines against corporations or individuals convicted of securities fraud.

The Federal Government takes the crime of fraud very seriously and large fines and long term prison times are imposed.

If you or someone you know is facing such charges, we at Hedding Law Firm have the experience, qualifications, and aggressiveness to get your criminal matter under control and get the best results possible.

Contact us for a FREE face to face consultation and our federal criminal defense attorneys will get right on your case.

Contact the  Hedding Law Firm today !

James Arthur Booker, 37, and five others were charged on May 4, 2011with 29 felony counts of bank fraud (defrauding banks out of more than $3 million).  

According to the indictment, primary suspect Andrea Lorraine Avery, 44, of Los Angeles and the other defendants stole the identities of people with good credit scores to establish lines of credit and used the money for personal expenses.

In addition to Avery and Booker, those charged are Kirkland Charles, 46, of Beverly Hills; William Earl Gordon, 59, of Little Rock, Ark.; Bill James Releford, 51, of Los Angeles; and Annita Hawes, 46, of Los Angeles.

Avery also is charged with making false statements to the banks. Avery, Releford, Charles and Gordon are also charged with aiding and abetting the false statements.

The group obtained dates of birth, Social Security numbers, credit profiles, FICO scores and driver's license numbers to complete fraudulent applications for business lines of credit at Bank of America and Wells Fargo Bank branches.

The stolen identities also were used to create phony corporate officers of shell corporations that did not exist, the FBI said.

Phony corporate officers were also created. In order to fool bank employees who made on-site inspections, the defendants created fake offices where they posed as employees to make it look like the corporations were legitimate.

Once the applications were approved, banks deposited money into the accounts, usually in amounts of $100,000.

The defendants liquidated accounts in a few days, making checks payable to themselves. Avery received 10 to 15 percent of the credit line. The remainder was shared among the rest.

If convicted of all counts, the defendants face maximum sentences ranging from 750 to 870 years in prison.

Fraud is an extremely serious felony charges. It can result in long term prison time and very large fines.

If you or someone you know is being charged with any type of fraud, you need an experienced, qualified, and aggressive criminal defense attorney to fight on your behalf.

We at Hedding Law Firm have the diligence, zeal, and experience to help you.
We place every effort to get the best results possible for our clients by gathering and contesting all the evidence presented against them.

Contact us for a FREE face to face strictly confidential and no obligations consultation

Thomas L. Mitchell, 64, operated or used several companies to perpetrate The Ponzi scheme, which targeted retirees from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

He was accused of running a 15-year-long Ponzi scheme that conned retired Los Angeles County train and bus operators out of about $7 million pleaded guilty Thursday to mail fraud.

For more information on mail fraud click on: http://www.federalcriminaldefenseadvocates.com/Areas_of_Practice/Mail_Wire_Fraud.aspx

Federal prosecutors said Mitchell portrayed himself as a successful investment adviser, falsely promising high investment returns through stocks, bonds or real estate. He also insisted his investments were safe, falsely telling at least one victim that her money was insured by the federal government.

With these and other bogus claims, Mitchell persuaded victims to transfer their money from their employers' retirement plans into accounts that he controlled, according to the government.

Mitchell's Ponzi scheme, which operated from 1995 to 2010, placed only a minute fraction of the retiree victims' money in legitimate investments and instead of taking steps to protect the retiree victims' principal investments, Mitchell misappropriated virtually all of their money to, among other things, live a abundant lifestyle, which included a luxury apartment, three luxury automobiles, expensive vacations, high-end restaurants and tickets to sporting events and shows.

Mitchell faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced August 15, 2011. As part of his plea agreement, Mitchell agreed to pay restitution of about $7 million.

What is a Ponzi Scheme

A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to separate investors, not from any actual profit earned by the organization, but from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors.

The Ponzi scheme usually entices new investors by offering returns other investments cannot guarantee, in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent. The perpetuation of the returns that a Ponzi scheme advertises and pays requires an ever-increasing flow of money from investors to keep the scheme going.

The system is destined to collapse because the earnings, if any, are less than the payments to investors. Usually, the scheme is interrupted by legal authorities before it collapses because a Ponzi scheme is suspected or because the promoter is selling unregistered securities.

The federal government has handed down heavy jail time in financial fraud scams such as Ponzi schemes and charges for Ponzi schemes are often also coupled with other charges such as Tax Evasion, Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, Securities Fraud or other Financial Crimes.

If you or someone you know is being charged with any kind of fraud, a federal crime, we at  Hedding Law Firm have the experience and the qualifications to help you get your matter under control.

Contact us for a FREE face to face confidential consultation.

A federal judge has sentenced actress Fernanda Romero and her husband, Kent Ross to spend 15 weekends in jail and five years of probation after they admitted committing marriage fraud so she could enter the United States.

According to the affidavit, a witness told authorities that Romero paid $5,000 to Ross, a musician and former pizza delivery man, to participate in a bogus marriage. Foreign spouses of U.S. citizens are eligible for legal residency status, work permits and eventually citizenship.

Authorities said Romero and Ross filed several documents containing false statements, such as claims that they lived at the same address. According to prosecutors, Romero also filed documents allegedly containing false statements as to how long she had resided in the United States.

Ross and Romero married in 2005, but were living in separate homes and dating other people.

The federal investigation began after Romero's ex-boyfriend, Markus Klinko, a fashion photographer, alerted immigration authorities to the alleged scam.

Although they both faced up to five years in prison, plus fines and probation, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Left said the government did not seek jail time.

Nonetheless, Real said the offense was serious enough that prison time was warranted.

Romero, 28, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to immigration authorities.
Ross, also 28, admitted falsely stating on immigration forms that he and Romero were living together in 2005 and 2006.

Marriage Fraud

Marriage fraud has been prosecuted under 8 U.S.C. § 1325 and 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a). The Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments Act of 1986 amended § 1325 by adding § 1325(c), which provides a penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for any "individual who knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws.

If you or someone you know is being charged with marriage fraud or any type of  fraud the federal criminal defense attorneys at Hedding Law Firm have the experience and the skill to help you get your matter under control.

We at Hedding Law Firm place every effort to get the best results possible for our clients. Let us be your advocate and fight for you.

Contact us for a FREE face to face consultation.

Former Major League Baseball player Lenny Dykstra was charged with bankruptcy fraud for selling belongings from his $18.5 million mansion after he had filed for bankruptcy in 2009.

• Bankruptcy fraud is a white-collar crime. Common criminal acts under bankruptcy statutes typically involve concealment of assets, concealment or destruction of documents, conflicts of interest, fraudulent claims, false statements or declarations, and fee fixing or redistribution arrangements. Bankruptcy fraud is a federal crime in the United States.

Dykstra, 48, was arrested last night, April 14, 2011 in Encino, California, by the Los Angeles Police Department on separate grand theft charges, according to an e-mailed statement from Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles. He was arrested by the Forgery Section of the of LAPD Commercial Crimes Division. The LAPD made the arrest following an investigation. He was held on $500,000 bail.

The former Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets outfielder is accused in the federal fraud case of removing, selling and destroying property that was part of the bankruptcy estate without permission from the trustee.

A lawyer for the trustee has estimated Dykstra stole or destroyed more than $400,000 from the estate, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office. He allegedly took a "truckload" of furnishings and fixtures from the mansion in Ventura County, California, to a Los Angeles consignment store about a month after he filed for bankruptcy.

The grand-theft charges relate to allegations Dykstra purchased vehicles "through fraudulent means".

Dykstra listed assets of $24.6 million against debt totaling $37.1 million. Debt includes $12.9 million owed to JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Dykstra could face as long as five years in prison if convicted of embezzling from a bankruptcy estate.

Embezzlement (act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted) and Fraud (an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual) are serious federal crimes.

If you or someone you know is facing such charges let us be your advocate and help you in your time of need.

Contact us at Hedding Law Firm and we will place every effort to gather and contest all the evidence presented against you. Our client's best interest is our top priority and we will strive to get you the best results possible.

A Vermont parolee who authorities say stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a 98-year-old blind and deaf woman was arrested Wednesday April 13, 2011, two years after the victim's death.

John Thomas Windsor met the elderly woman through his mother, who worked as her caretaker. The widow, who was identified only as Edna M., was confined to her home and suffered from dementia.

Prosecutors said Windsor moved into Edna M.'s home without her knowledge and used her credit cards to buy expensive personal items, including two used cars, an engagement ring for his girlfriend and a record collection.

At the time, he was on parole in Vermont after being convicted on domestic-violence and  fraud charges.

Edna M. eventually signed over her power of attorney to Windsor, who then tried to take out a loan against her home, prosecutors said. Police were alerted to the alleged theft in 2008 after her bank became suspicious of withdrawals from her account, said Newport Beach Sgt. Steve Burdette.

Edna M. died in 2009 while police were still conducting their investigation.

Windsor, 41, was arrested Wednesday morning at the Newport Beach Police Department. He is expected to be arraigned Thursday at Men's Central Jail in Santa Ana. If convicted, Windsor faces up to eleven years and eight months in state prison.

If you a loved one is being charged with the crime of fraud, a serious crime that can result in large fines and prison time, contact us at Hedding Law Firm and we will place every effort to gather and contest all the evidence presented against you.

Contact us for a FREE face to face consultation.

 Joseph Dyer, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy, supervised the impound program, collecting towing fees from residents. Prosecutors said he pocketed more than half a million dollars between 2001 and 2007 instead of giving it to the city.

The 56-year-old pleaded no contest Thursday April 7, 2011 to one felony count of public officer crime and will be sentenced to three years in state prison on May 31. His wife, Lydia, pleaded no contest to filing a false tax return and was sentenced to 12 months' probation.

The former deputy and his wife were forced to repay the department $554,588, the amount of the loss, plus an additional $100,000 to help reimburse for the cost of the investigation as part of their plea.

Embezzlement is a serious crime of fraud. Embezzlement is the misappropriation of items with which a person has been entrusted.

One of the most common instances of embezzlement in today's society is employee theft such as this present case. Employees of many companies have access to company property, creating the potential for embezzlement. Examples include such small crimes as  theft of retail items, discounted sale of retail items, and theft from cash registers, but can also include the  theft of millions by employees of large firms.

The penalty for an embezzlement violation typically depends on the value of the property that is misappropriated. A perpetrator is usually fined an amount on the same order of the value of the property, and may receive a prison sentence as well.

If you or someone you know has been charged with charges involving fraud or embezzlement you need an experienced, skilled, and trained attorney to handle your case for you.

At Hedding Law Firm we place every effort to look at your case, all the evidence contested against you to come up with a solution favorable to you, the client.
Contact us for a FREE face to face consultation.

An Orange County family was charged Wednesday April 6, 2011 in connection with 20 fake marriages meant to keep illegal immigrants in the country.

Federal authorities arrested Ajit Bhargava, 56, his wife Nisha Bhargava, 56, and their daughter Runjhun Bhargava, 30 at their home in Yorba Linda for conspiracy to commit visa fraud, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials said Wednesday.

The family ran immigration services through the Cerritos-based consulting firm based MPEagle Consultants that provided primarily to Indian nationals who sought marriage certificates and work visas.

Federal authorities said they launched their investigation in September 2009 after they noticed suspicious similarities among the business' visa applications. In some cases, the same "spouses" and marriage witnesses were used, according to authorities. They also staged photographs in public places to make believe a relationship.

They reportedly charged as much as $60,000 per marriage.

Immigration officers became suspicious of the Bhargava's when they noticed a pattern among 21 files.

The allegations state that the family recruited unemployed and low-income Americans, including some who were homeless and drug addicts, and paid them $2,000. According to court papers, some claimed they weren't paid.

Nisha and Runjhun have pleaded not guilty. Ajit is expected to appear in court on Thursday April 7, 2011.

Visa Fraud is a very serious crime. If convicted, the charge of  conspiracy to commit  visa fraud carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison. Also, any individual who knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or fined not more than $250,000, or both.

If you are facing federal immigration fraud charges a trained and skilled attorney is key to the success of your case.

The criminal defense attorneys at the Hedding Law Firm have a combined 75 years of experience and are committed to getting the best possible outcome for their clients.  Contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation.

A man was sentenced on Monday April 4, 2011 to six years in federal prison for running a telemarketing scheme that bilked more than 80,000 people out of about $6 million by offering non-existent bartender or "mystery shopper" jobs.

Stevan P. Todorovic, 41, of Santa Ynez, was convicted last July of 10 counts of mail and wire fraud in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Along with the prison term, the Judge ordered Todorovic to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison.

Todorovic set up several companies in Santa Barbara -- including American Bartending Institute and Consumer Response Group -- to market and sell a bogus training program, false certifications and job referrals, according to evidence presented at trial.

Those who inquired about the jobs were told they had to purchase certification programs.

The certifications were worthless and Todorovic had no jobs to offer, but he bilked some 80,000 people out of about $6 million before he was caught.

Todorovic apologized to the court, promising never to open another telemarketing business, and imploring the judge to allow him to remain free to care for his two daughters.

"I would literally cut off my right arm right now if you would give me another seven years with my daughters," he said. "I wish you had the ability to look into my soul and see the kind of person I am."

Hatter said that while he has empathy for Todorovic, "there is no more violent crime" than taking someone's financial security or hopes for a better life.

If you are facing federal fraud charges a qualified attorney is key to the success of your case. The criminal defense attorneys at the Hedding Law Firm have a combined 75 years of experience and are committed to getting the best possible outcome for their clients. Contact our office today to set up a free face-to-face consultation.