While the idea of “fake” Viagra may cause a smirk or a grin to cross your face, the consequences in federal court are real and significant. The federal government has vast resources that can be used to investigate potential federal offenses. Certainly, prosecutors take these cases seriously. The stakes are high when prosecutors seek a […]
HOUSTON CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW BLOG
Criminal defense attorney Nicole DeBorde of the Hochglaube & DeBorde Law Firm in Houston gets results. Visit her Houston criminal defense law blog to see proof of her respected and responsive legal representation.
There has been a great deal of public debate in recent times concerning federal drug crime sentencing reform. In the last entry, this blog discussed the issue of mandatory minimum sentence reform. Lawmakers in the legislative branch of government and policymakers in the executive branch of government have been considering reducing overall populations in federal prisons […]
Drug crime sentencing at the federal level has historically been fairly harsh. Many federal drug crimes carry large mandatory minimum sentences, and zero-tolerance policies have often pervaded federal drug crime enforcement. Such harsh sentencing policies can have dramatic impacts on defendants. Given how harsh the penalties at the federal level can be, when facing federal […]
Sometimes, federal charges are brought against a person over allegations of insurance fraud. Recently, an insurance-fraud-related federal case has come up involving a deputy U.S. Marshal from here in Texas. Authorities claim that the deputy U.S. Marshal, a 37-year-old man, used the tax identification number and signature of a physician, without the physician’s permission, to […]
Public corruption allegations, such as allegations of a government worker accepting bribes or misusing public resources, are something that the government takes incredibly seriously. Such allegations can sometimes lead to a government worker facing federal or investigations and criminal proceedings. What occurs in such investigations and proceedings can have significant impacts on a government worker’s […]
A federal fraud case has recently arisen involving seven Texans. The seven have been accused of having engaged in an identity theft scheme. According to authorities, the scheme went as follows. The personal information of customers of Fannie Mae, JPMorgan Chase and the Bank of America was stolen and used to access the customers’ bank […]
In July, “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe Giudice were indicted on 41 counts of fraud that allegedly took place between 2001 and 2011. Federal prosecutors claim the couple used false income documentation to obtain almost $5 million in mortgages and loans. Then, when the couple filed for […]
Cannabinoids drugs work by activating the cannabinoid receptors on certain cells, changing the way the brain works. They share the root word with cannabis, or marijuana. With pot completely illegal in Texas and nearly half of all U.S. states, a number of synthetic cannabinoids have taken its place among some users. When they first entered […]
In the movies, it seems reasonable when cops recruit criminals as informants to get an inside view of organized crime. In reality, there can be serious problems with the reliability of evidence gathered by informants. There are also important ethical issues when informants are allowed to commit serious crimes while working for law enforcement, yet […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has just agreed to hear an appeal by a Utah man who was convicted on federal charges of aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail and bank fraud. His convictions have already been upheld by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, but the federal circuit courts are in disagreement about a […]
