Federal Criminal Defense
Common examples of healthcare fraud
Last December, four New York City doctors were included in a group of individual and corporate defendants charged with defrauding publicly funded insurance providers like Medicare and Medicaid of millions of dollars. Their arrest drew a lot of press coverage and public ire. In recent years, federal, state, and even local authorities have directed their…
Read MoreTax crimes in New York
Last April, a British lawyer was found guilty of a massive tax fraud scheme. Michael Little, who was licensed to practice law in New York, was accused of helping the family of a U.S. investor conceal millions of dollars from the IRS by depositing it in Swiss bank accounts. He now faces up to five…
Read MoreWhat is a treaty transfer case in criminal law?
Being arrested, convicted, and imprisoned is bad enough. It’s even worse when you’re in a foreign country and have no access to friends, family, or even friendly faces who speak your language. Fortunately, you may be eligible for a transfer treaty arrangement that allows you to return to the U.S. to serve out your sentence.…
Read MoreYou have the right to remain silent: History of the Miranda warning
“You have the right to remain silent….” Most of us can recite the remainder of that statement by heart, even if we’ve never been arrested. It’s included in the script of every police drama and reality TV show dedicated to police procedure. What is not so well known is the story behind the so-called “Miranda”…
Read MoreWhat is a 440 motion?
We’ve all watched courtroom dramas with riveting trial scenes. The most memorable are those in which the defendant is found guilty of a crime he did not commit. We sympathize with his feelings of shock and dread as he contemplates a lengthy prison sentence. It’s a grim situation that occurs in real life. Even if…
Read MoreLive-streaming crimes
These days, social media documents practically everything we do, from birthday parties to vacations and weddings. Now it appears that people are using Facebook, Periscope, and other Internet platforms to live stream their crimes. In April of 2016, 18-year-old Marina Lonina and 29-year-old Raymond Gates, both residents of Ohio, were arrested after Gates raped Lonina’s…
Read MoreIs DNA evidence always foolproof?
DNA made its first appearance in the mid-1980s, but it wasn’t until 1987 that it became an integral part of the U.S. criminal justice system. On February 5 of that year, an Orange County, Florida jury convicted serial rapist Tommy Lee Andrews after tests matched his DNA to a semen sample taken from one of…
Read MoreManhattan District Attorney will stop prosecuting marijuana smoking and possession
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance has confirmed that starting August 1, his office will no longer be prosecuting marijuana smoking and possession cases. The announcement was the result of six months of policy analysis and research that included discussions with legal authorities in areas where marijuana possession and use is no longer a criminal…
Read MoreFederal criminal forfeiture: What you need to know
Did you know that if you are convicted of a federal offense that you stand to lose more than your freedom? Using a process known as criminal forfeiture, the government can seize certain assets and property after and, in some instances, before your conviction. Criminal vs. civil forfeiture Criminal forfeiture is part of an overall…
Read MoreDouble Jeopardy: What it is and when it doesn’t apply
We hear the term “double jeopardy” thrown around a lot in courtroom dramas and there’s even a 1999 movie of the same name. Despite—or perhaps because of—the fact that the term is so prevalent in popular culture, the true meaning is not well understood outside of the legal profession. Double jeopardy, which is referenced in…
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