Get the Best Defense with Our Houston Fraud Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been charged with fraud in the Houston area, our Houston fraud attorneys at Leeds Law Firm can help. It is important to contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible so that your lawyer start building your defense and help make sure your rights are protected.
Why am I being charged with fraud?
Under Texas law, the term fraud is very broad. It is possible to commit fraud in a wide range of different circumstances or manners, but fraud is often charged as a felony offense, regardless of what kind of fraud was committed.
What are the types of fraud charges In Texas?
There is a wide range of different kinds of fraud. In Texas, fraud covers any way you obtain money or property through deception or subversive means. Here are a few common types of fraud as examples:
Identity Theft Charges
Pretending to be someone else either to gain assets or for defamatory purposes (to get them in trouble or ruin their professional reputation) is identity theft.
Credit Fraud Charges
Credit fraud involves lying about personal resources, assets, income, or other details about your finances to gain credit. Anything which lets you get a higher credit limit, larger loan, or another credit benefit that you would not normally receive may be credit fraud.
Mail Fraud Charges
Mail fraud may be applied to any kind of fraud that uses the US postal system as a central part of the fraud. This includes things like lying about lost or damaged packages to using the US postal system to mail fraudulent materials.
Tax Refund Fraud Charges
Claiming someone else’s tax refund as your own is another common type of fraud. Anything used to intercept someone else’s rightful tax refund may count as fraudulent action.
Forgery, check fraud, welfare fraud, and workers compensation fraud are other common types. However, this list is far from complete. In essence, if money or property was not gained honestly, it may have been gained through fraud or a similar crime.
What is the penalty for fraud in Houston, TX?
The possible penalties for fraud are linked to the monetary value of the fraud. That means that any actual money, credit, or items received through fraudulent means can all be combined to get a monetary value of the fraud. In some cases, an additional value for the damages to the people or companies defrauded may also be added to the value of the fraud.
Fraud may be charged as a misdemeanor in low-value cases, or as a felony for high-value cases. The possible penalties for fraud cases range from fines to jail and prison sentences. There may also be enhanced penalties for fraud committed against certain people. For instance, enhanced penalties may be applied when fraud is committed against vulnerable populations, like the elderly.
Since fraud is a financial crime, people convicted of fraud may also be required to make restitution for the fraud committed, in addition to any other penalties.
Get in Touch with Our Houston Fraud Attorneys Now!
If you or a loved one has been charged with fraud, it is important to contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. If you need representation for fraud charges in Houston, the criminal defense team at Leeds Law Firm can help. Contact us to schedule a consultation on your case. Our team will also be happy to help answer any questions you have.
