Legal Blog: Fraud

Understanding Fraud Charges: The Importance of Intent and Defense Lawyers

When it comes to fraud charges, the government must demonstrate that the accused misrepresented or lied with the intention of deceiving someone else.  Although the typical fraud case will involve financial or legal harm to the victim, harm is not an element of fraud offenses. For example, attempts and conspiracies to commit fraud are violations of federal law, even if

Read More »

DOJ Sends Clear Message on PPP Fraud

A man from Virginia has been convicted for committing multimillion-dollar fraud in the COVID-19 relief programs. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that the man was convicted of multiple counts of wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with his fraud scheme that involved the misuse of COVID-19 relief funds, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic

Read More »

PPP Fraud in the United States

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created by the U.S. government in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides small businesses with forgivable loans to help them keep their employees on payroll and pay other essential expenses. The PPP was a critical part of the federal response to the pandemic, but it has also been

Read More »

Under Investigation for Paycheck Protection Program Fraud?

Aggressive Investigations Require Proactive Defense At the end of September 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched “Strike Force Teams” to investigate and prosecute Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud. Of the $800 billion distributed through the PPP, some estimate that $100 billion could have been fraudulently spent or obtained. Nearly a quarter of loan recipients, according to these same

Read More »

Fraud Abroad? The Fourth Circuit Clarifies When Defendants May Be Prosecuted In The United States for International Fraud.

This month, the Fourth Circuit issued its decision in United States v. Elbaz, 52 F.4th 593 (4th Cir. 2022) on rehearing. The Fourth Circuit clarified that the federal wire fraud statute does not apply extraterritorially, but that the use of United States wires to conduct foreign fraud can justify U.S. prosecution. This has ramifications for digital fraud and for venue

Read More »

Federal Inspector General Investigations

The Role and Authority of Federal Inspectors General The Inspector General Act of 1978 established IG offices in many federal agencies.  One of the responsibilities given to these offices was investigation of fraud.  Since 1978, the number of federal Inspectors General has increased from 12 to more than 75. To carry out their duty to investigate fraud, IG offices are

Read More »

Acquittal of Client Charged with Conspiracies to Commit Health Care Fraud, Mail Fraud, and to Violate the Anti-kickback Statute

On June 23, 2022, a jury in US District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland returned a not guilty verdict on all counts for Burnham & Gorokhov’s client, Donnie Amis.  The prosecution alleged that our client and his co-defendant participated in conspiracies to defraud Medicaid and to illegally recruit patients to a DC dental practice.  Through its verdict, the jury completely rejected

Read More »

Statement Regarding June 7 Order in Eastman v. Thompson, et al.

The Court upheld Dr. Eastman’s claims of privilege over 440 of the 599 documents at issue.  The Court also upheld in part Dr. Eastman’s argument that certain of the materials sought by the January 6th committee were protected by the First Amendment.  The decision represents the first time a federal court has held that the January 6th committee’s activities infringe

Read More »

Frequently Asked Questions: Business Email Compromise Schemes

What is a Business Email Compromise Scheme? Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes vary in their details and mechanics, but the gist of the scheme is that it is conducted by sending email targeting individuals or employees of companies, usually with the goal of fraudulently inducing the target to make a transfer of funds to an account or accounts controlled by

Read More »
Categories
Tags

Defending Your Rights
In Federal Court

Contact us Now

What Our Clients Have To say...

Top