Fraud charges can be so serious that you end up in prison for many years. Violating federal fraud laws typically results in felony charges after long investigations where forensic accountants piece together exactly where your money has come from and how you received it. If it wasn’t legal, then you can be arrested.
If you’re working with the army, one of the worst things you can do is to take kickbacks for working on projects. That’s what a contractor is accused of in this case.
The case involved a construction executive from Tennessee who was involved in two multi-million dollar contracts in Georgia. He allegedly received $436,000 or more in kickbacks. Now, he’s facing charges for wire fraud and taking illegal kickbacks in the state.
How did he commit fraud?
It’s claimed that he used his position to encourage work for Southern Atlantic Construction LLC. In exchange, he allegedly received cash payments from that subcontractor’s owner. That company’s owner is also accused of filing fraudulent invoices for work that wasn’t completed. He pleaded guilty in exchange for a plea deal where he’d cooperate with the federal investigation. The man accused of wire fraud has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Violating the law in this way can come back to haunt you very quickly. There is an opportunity to take a plea deal in many cases, like one person involved in this case did, which may help you avoid a harsh sentence. However, if you are accused of fraud, having your legal team on your side is the most important protection you can have.
