Federal Crimes Blog

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...

Any crimes that are committed at airports will fall under federal jurisdiction. If somebody decides to commit a life-threatening violent act at an international airport, they are facing severe penalties under federal law. For example, suppose you are convicted of performing violence at an airport using any "device...

If you falsely represent yourself in certain situations, you could be charged with a federal criminal offense. For example, 18 U.S. Code 913 makes it a crime for someone to falsely represent themselves as an agent, officer, or employee of the United States who searches someone or a building or who arrests or detains...

Smuggling any goods into the United States without following proper procedures for declaring the goods is a crime under 18 U.S. Code 545. For example, you could be charged and found guilty under this law if you knowingly and willfully smuggled or introduced any merchandise that should have been invoiced...

Under federal laws, assisting somebody in escaping from lawful custody is a crime. Simply put, if you help someone try to escape, you can face serious federal criminal charges. While most escape-related cases are prosecuted in state courts, there are certain circumstances where the case would be handled in...

Title 18 U.S. Code 2511 defines the federal offense of unauthorized interception and disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications. In other words, this federal statute prohibits anyone from intentionally intercepting, trying to intercept, or getting other people to intercept wire, oral, or...

After the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the United States Congress passed the Patriot Act, which modified 18 U.S. Code 2331 by defining domestic terrorism. Terrorism is a serious international issue, and the United States government considers local acts of terrorism an attack on...

The Constitution protects peaceful protests in the United States, but violence and property destruction are illegal. Title 18 U.S. Code 2383 rebellion and insurrection charges at the federal level could be charged when perpetrators destroy government property or assault public officers. Simply put, it’s considered...

Playing the lottery, such as Powerball, is widespread. Still, there are restrictions on specific actions, such as broadcasting lottery information, importing lottery tickets, mailing lottery tickets, and participation by financial institutions. Lotteries are common in most states, but local state laws highly regulate them...

Let’s review the four ways to avoid a mandatory minimum sentence in a federal drug case. Under federal laws, illegal drugs and controlled substances are defined under 21 U.S.C. 841. Notably, there are three levels of federal felony drug offenses. All drugs could fit into one or more levels, depending on the...

For those recently arrested, or you are a relative or the actual person, you have a bond hearing coming up. You want to get an attorney right away. Strategy-wise, you want to ensure you and the attorney coordinate getting information to the probation department and the pre-trial service people...

Suppose a crime is committed aboard an aircraft in flight within United States territory. In that case, it will typically fall under the jurisdiction of the federal district courts. The vast majority of crimes on an airplane are not related to terrorism. Sometimes, passengers argue, fight, and shout profanity-laced...

Federal law makes harboring or concealing another person from arrest a crime. This crime could lead to substantial fines and custody in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for up to five years. Simply put, suppose you help prevent somebody from being arrested. In that case, you could face federal criminal charges for...