Credit card fraud charges can be pressed against you for a wide range of situations. Actions ranging from knowingly possessing the credit card against the owner’s wishes to removing sums of money without the owner’s permission can all land you a conviction of credit card fraud. Even if you are innocent of the crime or had no idea what you were doing was illegal, it will not stop the court from pursuing a case against you. Under the letter of the law, police officers can arrest you for not being able to recall your PIN number, account number, or being unable to provide proof of your ownership of the card.
You will need a top-notch theft defense attorney to help fight against these unjustified charges and keep you out of jail. Laws surrounding credit cards and other “new” services are still young in the wide scope of the law and the laws can be hard to understand. You need to find an attorney who understands the laws surrounding credit cards and has the courtroom experience for fight for you.
Police can arrest you for credit card fraud for selling someone else’s credit card, possessing said card, or making unauthorized transactions. These are not limited to credit cards. Debit cards and even gift cards can fall under the definition of “credit card fraud.”
Under the Michigan Penal Code (750.157n), you can face severe punishments for being convicted of this offense. You can even be sent to prison. This stretch of time will irrevocably change your present lifestyle and your future. Think of everything you want to or are going to do in the next few years. Now imagine, instead, that you will be spending that time behind bars.
In addition to prison time, the majority of credit card fraud victims seek financial restitution for their losses, potential or actual. You can face a long list of state fines for your crime and then the amount the courts order you to pay back. This will devastate your financial well-being, leaving you in an awful place for your future finances.
The fines you can be charged with vary largely depending on the amount of funds taken from the victim. If $200 or less is taken, the fines can be as high as $500 or three times as much was taken, whatever is higher. If the total taken is between $200 and $1,000, you can pay $2,000 or three times the amount taken. This is also the penalty level where one year of jail time is possible. If the amount taken is over $1,000, but still under $20,000, the jail time can increase dramatically and fine can quickly rise in excess of $15,000.
When the court sentences you, they will have considered all extraneous factors and conditions surrounding what they accuse you of. For instance, quietly stealing someone’s credit card and then spending only $50 before being caught may have no jail time attached, merely requiring the accused to pay back the victim and the court fines. In another case, perhaps that same thief who took the card, instead of a small withdrawal, purchases several thousand dollars’ worth of weapons. This will have a much steeper penalty, most likely including jail time. Additionally, a prior criminal record or history with drugs or violence can bias a court against you.
Regardless of the severity of the crime or your history, any conviction will remain on your criminal record. This can make finding a job difficult, influence any dealings with the state, and make it difficult to carry on a normal life afterward.
If you are being investigated for or have been charged with credit card fraud, you need to contact a lawyer immediately. Do not speak to the police until you have a legal representative. If they ask you any questions, politely decline to answer until you have your lawyer. The crux of most legal cases against those accused of credit card fraud center upon knowingly acting upon illegal transactions. They will need to prove you had criminal intent with the card, so anything you say can potentially be used against you.
Getting a lawyer immediately can give you a critical advantage in the coming proceedings. If you and your attorney are able to handle all the details of your case before the court attorneys even look at the case, you can begin to head off any nasty surprises that may have otherwise slowed your case.
The attorneys at Grabel & Associates have years of experience and have been representing Lansing and the greater Michigan area for over 10 years. Every minute you wait gives the prosecution more time to build a case against you and deprives our expert attorneys of time to build you a rock solid legal defense.
Our experienced legal attorneys and analysts are standing by to help you. We are ready to take your call twenty-four hours a day. Call us for free at 1-800-342-7896 or contact us through our website. We can begin building your legal case immediately. Do not wait; your freedom and good name depend on it.