What is forgery? Under Florida Statute 831.01, the crime of Forgery is committed when a person falsifies, alters, counterfeits, or forges a document that carries “legal efficacy” with the intent to injure or defraud another person or entity. Penalties for forgery Forgery is a third-degree felony in Florida and is punishable by up to five (5) years in prison, five (5) years of probation, and a $5,000 fine. Forgery is assigned a Level 1 offense severity ranking under Florida’s Criminal Punishment Code. A judge may sentence a person convicted of forgery to probation, but may also impose a sentenc ..read more

Penalties for RICO Under RICO, someone who has committed at least 2 acts of racketeering activity (drawn from a list of 27 federal crimes and 8 state crimes) within a 10-period can be charged with racketeering. Those who are accused and found guilty could face some of the following sentences: • A fine of up to $25,000 • Up to 20 years in prison • Forfeiture of all business interests and gains from the criminal activity • In addition, you could be retried in civil court. Plaintiffs can legally sue you for triple damages involved in your crime. Establishing Evidence Investigators who wish to pro ..read more

What is RICO? The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), is a federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts done as part of an ongoing criminal organization. Specifically, RICO focuses on racketeering or performing dishonest and fraudulent business dealings. This bill was designed to target the leaders of syndicates, who often order people to do crimes but never commit the crimes themselves. RICO was passed in 1970 as part of the Organized Crime Control Act and signed into law by Richard Nixon. It was originally designed to p ..read more

Public Intoxication Public intoxication (also referred to as disorderly intoxication) fall into the category of disorderly conduct. Even if the act has taken place in an area reserved for alcohol use, a person can still face criminal charges for disrupting the peace of the public. For example, you are fully permitted to purchase alcohol at sporting events, but, if you become intoxicated and disrupt the public safety and well-being of others in the audience at such an event, you can still be arrested and charged. Verbal Abuse and Battery of a Law Enforcement Official Disorderly conduct may also ..read more

Disorderly Conduct Offenses in Florida Disorderly conduct is an offense that involves a person acting in such a manner as to constitute a “breach of the peace.” At times it may be difficult to distinguish which acts may simply be exercising your freedom of speech and which acts may constitute disorderly conduct. Overall, this particular activity is designated as an open playing field, meaning a charge does not necessarily have to be supported by a substantial collection of evidence to be brought to court. Some examples of acts that may be classified as disorderly conduct: • Acts of nature so a ..read more

Different Types of Trafficking Depending on what you are accused of trafficking, you could be facing any number of extreme penalties. We can handle some of the following federal trafficking crimes: • Drug/controlled substance trafficking: Transporting controlled substances across state lines or into the country. • Sex trafficking/sexual slavery: Exploiting human beings by selling them to customers for the purpose of performing sexual services. • Human trafficking: Exploiting people by selling them for the purpose of forced labor or commercial exploitation. • Straw purchasing of firearms: Purch ..read more

Trafficking Trafficking anything illegal across state lines or across country borders is something that will be heavily persecuted by the federal government. Trafficking itself isn’t necessarily illegal because it includes the transportation of goods for the purpose of trade by land, sea, or air. However, the federal government will prosecute depending on what kind of “good” is being transported. For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigates human trafficking or involuntary servitude in the United States. The FBI also investigates international drug trafficking, as does U ..read more

What is tax evasion? Tax evasion is defined as the purposeful illegal attempt of a U.S. citizen to evade assessment or payment of a tax imposed by the federal government. The organization that oversees taxes, the Internal Revenues Service, is in charge of investigating those who attempt to evade paying. According to estimates, the federal government loses billions of dollars in potential revenue to people who evade taxes. In 2006, that lost income gap was estimated at $450 billion. Tax evasion includes some of the following: – Misrepresenting or underreporting income – Inflating deductions – T ..read more

Although criminal enterprises and organized crime are practically synonymous, there are certain statutes that relate specifically to criminal enterprises. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a criminal enterprise is defined “as a group of individuals with an identified hierarchy, or comparable structure, engaged in significant criminal activity.” This criminal activity may include various offenses, such as the following: • Bank fraud • Counterfeiting • Drug trafficking • Human trafficking • Embezzlement • Smuggling • Money laundering Two such statutes include the Continuing ..read more

Penalties for Resisting Officer with Violence The offense of Resisting an Officer with Violence constitutes a third-degree felony in Florida, which carries with it a punishment of up to five years in prison and $5,000 in monetary fines. Defenses to Resisting Officer with Violence In addition to the pretrial defenses and trial defenses that can be raised in any criminal matter, the defenses to the crime of Resisting Officer with Violence are as follows: •     On The Job In order for a person to be convicted of Resisting an Officer with Violence, it requires proof that the law enf ..read more