A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the federal crime of aggravated identity theft makes it harder for the government to obtain a conviction for that crime. Several months ago, we wrote about how the U.S. government was using the federal crime of aggravated identity theft as a tool to deport…
The U.S. Department of Justice under the Obama administration has indicated an opposition to the current disparities between sentences in crack cocaine cases versus powder cocaine cases in the federal criminal system. Currently, as a result of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, mandatory sentences in federal criminal cases are…
On the Lasnetski Gihon Law criminal law blog, we have discussed on several occasions the trends we have noticed with federal investigations and prosecutions of various crimes depending on what seems to be the prevailing issues of the day. One trend we have noticed recently is the increased focus by…
Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS) is a company that provides technological and outsourcing services to mortgage lenders that is based out of Jacksonville, Florida. According to an article on www.Jacksonville.com, the U.S. Department of Justice has initiated an investigation of LPS. The article does not go into detail about the…
Federal law enforcement authorities show up at your company with a search warrant to search the entire premises of the business including computers, customer files, billing and accounts receivable information, internal memoranda, bank account information and training materials. They conduct an extensive search and seize a variety of materials from…
Eric Holder, the new Attorney General under President-elect Obama, has indicated that the new administration is seeking to change the administration’s policy and federal law making it easier for reporters to maintain the confidentiality of their sources. Holder is reportedly in support of a law that would allow reporters and…
The new U.S. Attorney General in President Obama’s administration stated that the federal government has changed its policy and will not raid medical marijuana establishments in states where selling marijuana for medicinal purposes is legal. Medical marijuana is legal in thirteen states. Florida is not one of them, and none…
With the new administration, the federal government will shift its focus regarding federal drug crimes. It appears that the Obama administration will focus more on rehabilitation and be less stringent with nonviolent first-time federal drug offenders than the prior Bush administration. Some of the highlights of the Obama administration’s policies…
I saw another article today commenting that the FBI and federal prosecutors are increasingly focusing on corporate fraud and mortgage fraud crimes, which are commonly referred to as white collar crimes. This is a reaction to the difficult economic times in general, and specifically, the alarming number of foreclosures, bankruptcies…
In the wake of the highly publicized scandal and alleged Ponzi scheme involving Bernie Madoff, U.S. lawmakers announced a proposed bill that would provide for an additional $110 million, 50 FBI agents, 100 SEC Enforcement Officials and 50 Assistant U.S. Attorneys to deal with federal securities fraud cases. The bill…