White Collar Criminal Defense Attorney
Case Consultation

DC Federal Government Program Fraud Penalties 

DC federal government program fraud is a felony, and as a result, is taken quite seriously by law enforcement. The trend in how government program fraud cases or other white collar cases are prosecuted in DC or in federal court is that they are being prosecuted in an increasingly aggressive manner whether they are in Washington, DC or other districts. If you have been charged with federal government program fraud, consult a distinguished federal government program attorney that can fight for you. A qualified DC federal government program lawyer can help mitigate any of the DC federal government program fraud penalties that you face.

Implications of a Fraud Conviction

The penalties associated with a conviction for committing fraud via a government program can be quite stiff. DC federal government program fraud penalties can run between 20 and 30 years in prison. A sentence can be rather severe depending on the amount of money involved that is the actual or intended loss to a federal government program. The judge considers what is being investigated, whether the incident of fraud occurred, and whether the victim was a patient in a federal program that was defrauded. Those aspects can also add to federal domestic guidelines.

Collateral Consequences

There are huge implications with a fraud conviction called collateral consequences. In addition to possible prison time, there is potential time on supervised supervision, a strict form of probation. There are other penalties for a federal fraud conviction that could make a person ineligible for certain government benefits, government housing, and food stamps. Voting rights can be restricted,  the ability to own a firearm can be restricted, and most seriously, the employment opportunities following a fraud conviction are negligible. It could take years for a person who had a good job before they were convicted to get close to that type of employment in terms of responsibility, trust, and wages. Sometimes, it just never happens. A fraud conviction can and will ruin a person’s career.

Government Program Fraud Cases

A fraud case involving a federal government program where the allegation is that a program was defrauded is usually brought to federal court. The decision about whether a fraud case is a state or federal case depends on the set of programs alleged to be involved in fraud. A federal government program that was advised by the federal government is brought to federal court. Federal government program fraud charges are almost always felony offenses. It is rare that a misdemeanor charge is lodged against someone for fraud.

A common misconception is that these cases are not treated seriously by law enforcement. In fact, they are treated extremely seriously and severe DC federal government program fraud penalties can be imposed including lengthy jail sentences. Another common misconception is that the investigation required to prepare a case on the defense side is not complex or involved when nothing could be further from the truth. It takes a lot of hard work to fully investigate and prepare a government program fraud case.

Contacting an Attorney

If you have been charged with fraud, it is vital that you get in contact with a skilled legal advocate that can fight for you. The seriousness of these offenses can lead to severe DC federal government program fraud penalties. Your attorney can work diligently to ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive a fair trial.

Scholarship Scholarship
Scholarship