The Central District of California, which encompasses major urban areas such as Los Angeles, serves as a hub for a wide range of federal criminal activities. Understanding the most common crimes can provide insight into the federal legal system's priorities and challenges in Southern California. ...
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the disruption of the online infrastructure associated with DanaBot and unsealed federal criminal charges against 16 individuals for their alleged involvement in the development and deployment of the malware, which it said was controlled by...
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office of diversion uses so-called “red flag” indicators to determine which pharmacies should be placed under closer scrutiny and undergo undercover visits. The higher number of these DEA red flags increases the likelihood...
The Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (IAA), codified in Title 15 U.S. Code § 80b-1 et seq., is the fundamental regulatory framework for investment advisers in the United States, administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The primary purpose of this law is to...
A Kovel agreement extends the attorney-client privilege to communications between a taxpayer and an accountant when a lawyer hires the accountant to assist in providing legal advice to the client. This means that communications and work product from the accountant....
Federal criminal cases often involve complex procedures aimed at gathering sufficient evidence to support prosecution. This can sometimes conflict with the statute of limitations deadline for one or more offenses. To this end, when evidence is situated in foreign....
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique digital assets that represent ownership of a specific item, whether it's digital art, video, music, or other objects. Each NFT is unique, meaning that no other token of the same type, such as Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, can replace....
Under the United States legal system, every criminal defendant charged with a serious offense is entitled to a trial by a jury of their peers. It's a process that's clearly weighted in favor of the defendant, based on the idea that numerous guilty people should go free...
Federal conspiracy charges can be brought against someone accused of conspiring to commit any crime against the United States. To prove guilt, the prosecution must show that the defendant had an agreement or “contract” with at least one other person to commit a crime....
Money-flipping scams involve fraudsters making false claims to the victim that they have a secret method for making money or that they can double their money in a short period of time. The scams can take many different forms, but they all have one thing in common....
Shell companies are often used for illicit purposes, especially for money laundering schemes. Such enterprises without real operations can be set up either in the United States or in other countries. For example, even though all states have laws that regulate the establishment of...
Insider trading is the practice of buying or selling a company's securities based on material, nonpublic information. It has long been a controversial issue in financial markets. While the term 'insider trading' often brings people images of corporate executives secretly profiting from inside kno...
Under federal law, a “chop shop” is generally described as a business receiving, concealing, destroying, or illegally obtaining motor vehicles to sell their parts. This law is codified under Title 18 U.S. Code 2322 Chop Shops, found within 18 U.S. Code Chapter 13, Stolen Property, and other related federal laws. The United States...
Section 842 has several provisions addressing specified unlawful acts and includes new provisions implementing the "Plastic Explosives Convention." Explosive materials could be a significant risk to the public, which is one of the main reasons why there are strict federal laws regulating them. Title 18 U.S.C. 842, “unlawful acts,”...
Federal judges evaluate criminal cases to identify elements demonstrating the offense's severity. These factors often affect the outcome of a defendant's case positively or negatively. Aggravating and mitigating factors in an alleged crime play a critical role in determining penalties. Judges will examine aggravating and mitigating...
If you or a loved one is charged with possession, distribution, or production of child pornography at the federal level, you want to get a criminal defense attorney right away. The first common mistake is that people do nothing. They bury their hand in the sand and hope for the best. Then they find themselves in a position...
For those people who have been recently arrested in a federal case, especially in the Central District of California, whether that be in Los Angeles, Riverside, or Orange County, you're going to want to get an attorney right away. I think the first common mistake is thinking that a bail on a federal case is similar to a state case...
There are strict federal laws designed to protect minors from sexual exploitation, child pornography, and other sexual-related offenses. This includes watching animated depictions of children engaged in sexual activity, which is a form of child porn. In other words, lolicon is illegal in the United States. In Japan, lolicon (loli) is a...
Criminal cases allegedly violating federal laws must be handled in federal district court, such as drug offenses, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, healthcare fraud, and conspiracy. Federal prosecutors could pursue criminal charges on an individual or an entity. Most federal criminal cases begin discreetly...
Title 18 U.S. Code 247 damage to religious property; obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs is an essential law for the freedom of religious expression in the United States as it protects churches and religious institutions from deliberate damage. Under the Church Arson Prevention Act...
18 U.S.C. 331 defines the federal crime of mutilation, diminution, or falsification of United States coins. You could be charged for violating this federal law if you fraudulently deface, mutilate, alter, diminish, impair, scale, or lighten coins. You can also be criminally charged for defacing or damaging foreign coins that...
Federal laws make it illegal to sell, receive, possess, conceal, store, or dispose of a stolen vehicle crossing state lines or United States borders. 18 U.S.C. 2313 applies to motor vehicles, vessels, and aircraft. All states have separate laws making vehicle theft a crime when it occurs within their borders. Once stolen vehicles...
Mail theft refers to stealing items sent through the United States Postal Service (USPS), such as letters, packages, boxes, or anything else sent through the mail system. Some common examples of mail theft include stealing mail from a postal worker’s truck or tampering with or destroying mail that does not...
It’s common knowledge that cars with lower mileage will typically sell for a higher price on the used car market. Suppose you decide to tamper with an odometer to reduce the displayed mileage. In that case, you may have committed a federal crime. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says...
Federal law enforcement agencies consider crimes related to child pornography seriously. If they believe you are a suspect of dealing with illegal, obscene material, you should expect a thorough criminal investigation and possible prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 2252 or a related statute. Suppose you are...
Hedding Law Firm is committed to answering your questions about Federal Criminal Defense issues in Los Angeles and Encino California. We'll gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.