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Virginia Check Fraud Lawyer

Check fraud in Virginia can be different based on how the crime was committed, but primarily it involves the theft of checks or other negotiable instruments and using them as though they were a person’s own. It can also involve writing bad checks and issuing checks that a person knows are not supported by funds in his or her account with the intent to permanently deprive the person that he or she is writing the check to of money, goods, or services.

The penalties for check fraud can be very serious if a lot of money is involved, so it is important to contact an experienced fraud lawyer. If a lot is at stake if charged for check fraud, consulting a Virginia check fraud attorney should be done immediately.

Building a Defense

A Virginia check fraud lawyer needs to know all the intricate details of the charge and the conduct that the government is alleging constituted check fraud. The experienced attorney is going to want to look at bank records and other things to determine whether or not the government can prove their case. This is particularly important in cases where a person is being accused of writing a check that was not supported by funds. A Virginia check fraud attorney is going to look at the trends in the amount of dollars in the account so that if there was a mistake made, and that mistake was honest in nature, they can present that evidence at trial or alternatively to the government in negotiation.

Penalties

If a person is charged with check fraud and the amount of the loss or the amount of money taken is in excess of $200, it is a Class 6 felony, which is punishable by one to five years in prison. If the amount of the loss is $200 or less, the person shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to one year in jail.

Check Fraud Investigations

Someone might not know they are under investigation unless the government comes to talk to them and asks them questions about it. In some cases, before talking to a person, the government will issue a subpoena for their bank records. When a subpoena is issued for bank records, the bank will often let the person know that the government has issued a subpoena for his or her bank records, giving him or her time to object or to make a motion to quash that subpoena. That happens sometimes, but most of the time a person is going to find out when the government comes calling and wants to interrogate them or ask them questions about whatever it is that they think they did.

Contact a Virginia Check Fraud Lawyer

In a majority of fraud cases, the best evidence about that fraud comes out of the client’s mouth. The police will talk to them and they will either confess to it or they will make some kind of excuse to try to get out of the situation in which they find themselves. Government investigators are not particularly keen on believing anything that they have to say and whatever they say could be used against them in court. For that reason, it is imperative to contact a Virginia check fraud attorney right away once they find out that they are under investigation so that attorney can prevent them from saying something to the police that would harm their case.