Augusta Criminal Defense Blog

Federal charges lead to conviction of man in Georgia

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law posted in federal fraud charges on Friday, October 19, 2018.

Federal fraud charges can create serious problems for you. If you are convicted, it could mean spending years in prison and having hefty fines and penalties to pay. You may struggle to maintain your friendships and relationships. In all, you could truly lose everything.

That's why it's so important to fight against any allegations you face. Fraud is defined as intentional, so if you can prove that you were unaware of fraud taking place, it's one way you can help remove the blame from your shoulders.

Tax evasion: Protect yourself against unfair penalties

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law posted in federal white collar crimes on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

White collar crimes are aptly named, as they're generally committed by people who do not do manual labor. These individuals, who could wear white-collared shirts without risking getting them dirty, often work with finances and may be chief executive officers (CEOs) or business executives.

For the most part, white collar crimes aim to make the perpetrator money. The individual may misrepresent the value of a home, property, stock or another asset to make a deal in their favor. Most common white collar crimes are based in fraud, but other forms include Ponzi schemes, insider trading, scams and tax evasion.

How does Georgia address drug trafficking?

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law posted in federal drug charges on Thursday, October 4, 2018.

Federal drug charges are particularly damaging to your reputation and the possibilities for your future. With most federal crimes, you face at least one year in prison and the penalties are much higher.

Drug trafficking charges refer to the sale, delivery, distribution, manufacture or possession of controlled substances in the United States. Since trafficking tends to involve multiple states, it is handled by the federal government in those instances.

Man receives 16 years in prison for crime spree

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law posted in federal crimes on Tuesday, September 25, 2018.

A federal crime is significant because of the possibility of a prison sentence even on a first offense. Most federal crimes result in felony charges with minimum prison sentences of one year. No matter what you've done, no one wants to go to prison for any length of time. That's why it's important to develop a defense early on in your case.

Here is a case in which a man allegedly committed crimes for close to three decades. The man has now been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison after being charged with weapons possession. The 45-year-old man, already a felon from a previous conviction, was sentenced to 188 months in prison along with another 5 years of supervised release. In the federal system, there is no opportunity for parole.

How state drug charges can turn federal

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

A conviction for a drug-related crime in Georgia can result in you spending years in prison and owing thousands of dollars in fines. You cannot take this sentence likely no matter if the court charges you for possession or distribution the material.

The conviction becomes worse if those charges come from a federal court. In these scenarios, the United States government will be prosecuting you and determining your penalties. Federal verdicts often have heavier punishments and go beyond Georgia’s limitations. There are cases where the defendant is unfortunate enough to receive punishments from both the state and federal courts. Before your trial begins, you should know how a state crime could become a federal crime to understand what could lead to bigger penalties.

What are some myths about white collar crimes?

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law posted in federal white collar crimes on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

There are a number of myths about white collar crimes that have to be straightened out. These myths hurt people in many ways predominantly because they create unrealistic expectations.

To understand how your case will be handled if you are charged with a white collar crime, you need to understand the reality of the court system. Here are three myths that we can debunk.

Fraud charges: Not all dishonesty is fraud

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law posted in federal fraud charges on Friday, September 14, 2018.

Fraud is a federal offense, which means that you could face serious penalties if you are accused of the offense and convicted for it. With fraud offenses, there must be some kind of false statement. You must also misrepresent a product or be deceitful in some way.

Essentially, fraud means that you lied to someone to trick them into doing something for your own financial gain. Typically, fraud cases involve something of value. This is usually money or property. Not every case involving dishonesty is a case of fraud, but there are some ways to know if you will be charged with fraud.

Common reasons to commit white collar crime

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law on Friday, September 7, 2018.

Recently, white collar crime has captured headlines between the trials of Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to $20 million in bank fraud and other crimes. Although both men have faced prosecution for their crimes, neither man has divulged the motivations behind the fraud.

Why would two high-profile men risk their careers to commit such crimes?

Man sentenced in relation to drug ring bust

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law posted in federal drug charges on Friday, September 7, 2018.

Federal drug charges are nothing to ignore. A charge could potentially be penalized with years in prison, high fines or other penalties. On top of that, a conviction could make it hard to get a job and take away other rights.

In Georgia, there is a problem with methamphetamine, but the news reports that a major organization has been sentenced. According to the news from Aug. 30, there is at least one man from Covington who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for being involved in a drug ring. Thus far, there have been over eight people convicted and sentenced for the conspiracy.

Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics highlight crimes

On behalf of of J. Pete Theodocion, Attorney at Law posted in federal crimes on Thursday, August 30, 2018.

As someone accused of a crime, you have a right to know if you're facing a unique charge or one that comes up often. For charges that are filed often, attorneys may have a better idea of how the local courts treat the charges and what you may or may not want to do to help reduce the penalties you could face.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) publishes yearly statistics on crime in the United States. The 2016 findings, published near the end of 2017, offer great insight into different crimes and which crimes are most likely to occur in the country.