Can social media expose insurance fraud?
The use of social media allows us to reveal information about our private lives to friends or to the public at large. However, law enforcement may also glean information from social media to gather evidence against you if they are currently investigating you for a crime. Insurance fraud cases are one such example. Insurance fraud […]
Understanding identity theft charges
Identity theft is the process of taking another person’s form of personal identification and using it for fraudulent means. One may not realize the severity of this crime and its potential repercussions. This crime is a white-collar crime, and a person may face a felony charge for identity theft under certain circumstances. It is vital to […]
Passing inside information could get you in trouble
Insider trading is a crime involving the use of inside information about companies to make stock trades before the release of that information to the public. However, you do not have to actually buy or sell stocks based on inside information for law enforcement to charge you with insider trading. Simply passing non-public information to […]
Charges seen in alleged mortgage scam targeting elderly and low income
Owning a home is one part of the American Dream. People will save for years and do whatever they can to buy a home. However, it is a huge financial investment that also is long-term. Once in a new home, many people find they have difficulties keeping up with the mortgage payments. This may make […]
Conviction for insider trading must prove breach of a duty owed
California is home to some of the world’s most profitable technology companies, and many residents actively trade in their stocks. Some trading techniques encourage following an executive’s actions as signals for when to buy or sell a company’s stock. According to MarketWatch, the consensus is that because corporate insiders have “skin in the game,” they […]
Michael Avenatti accused of defrauding Stormy Daniels
Controversial attorney Michael Avenatti is facing a raft of felony counts filed by federal prosecutors in California and New York for allegedly defrauding his clients and attempting to extort the sportswear manufacturer Nike. The 48-year-old litigator’s legal position became even more precarious on May 22 when U.S. attorneys in New York added counts of aggravated […]
Michael Avenatti indicted on 36 counts by California grand jury
Celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti has been indicted on several charges, including fraud, perjury, tax evasion and embezzlement. The 36-count indictment was issued by a federal grand jury in California on April 11. Avenatti, who became a regular sight on cable news shows when he filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump on behalf of the […]
SEC files insider trading charges against Apple attorney
The Securities and Exchange Commission has a mission to protect investors in California and around the country. On Feb. 13, the SEC took a step toward that goal by filing federal charges against a former high-ranking attorney with Apple Inc. The suit alleges the defendant used his inside knowledge to profit illegally. According to the […]
Can I get my charges reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor?
In most states, the law clearly distinguishes between felonies and misdemeanors. California also does this—to some degree. For instance, rape and murder are always felonies, while prostitution and solicitation are always misdemeanors. However, there is a large gray area in the California penal code of crimes known as “wobblers.” Wobblers are a category of hybrid […]