When someone is under investigation or has been charged with federal fraud, law enforcement officials will try to get information from them before they have time or think to ask for a lawyer. There is rarely anything to be gained from speaking to a government law enforcement agent—particularly a federal law enforcement agent. Lying to a federal law enforcement agent is a separate federal offense, and whether or not someone “lied” is determined by the law enforcement agent (at least initially). Thus, there are huge disincentives to speaking to a federal law enforcement agent without a lawyer present, and there are huge advantages to not speaking to federal law enforcement agents without an attorney present. Before someone proceeds with answering police questions or any other aspect of their case, they should first hire a Maryland federal fraud lawyer.
Law Enforcement Questioning in Maryland
What people often think is, “Well, I don’t want to give the impression that I’ve done anything wrong by not speaking to the law enforcement.” And law enforcement fosters that by saying, “Well, if you haven’t done anything wrong, then you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Often times, Maryland federal law enforcement agents will take what you say and twist it, and also know that in many instances their interviews are not recorded. There is no independent, objective record of what was said during an interview. A lot of the time, the fact that you didn’t speak to a law enforcement agent can’t be used against you. Although there are a few isolated situations where it can, those are not relevant in most cases. Going into law enforcement questioning without an experienced lawyer’s guidance can be a recipe for disaster.
Don’t speak to law enforcement, politely decline to speak to the officer or investigator, and consult with a Maryland federal fraud attorney as soon as possible.
Working With a Private Law Firm Over Individual Practitioner
When choosing a Maryland federal fraud lawyer for representation it is important to consider your options. Typically, the lawyers at a private law firm will have more resources than solo practitioners. Attorneys will have colleagues they can ask for advice, in addition to a plethora of support staff. One of the challenges in government program fraud cases is the sheer volume of information, because there are so many records to go through. In many instances, it’s a paper-dominated investigation, and when a Maryland federal fraud attorney is litigating these cases, you want to always look down the road and know what’s coming up for each individual case. Working with a private law firm means that you will have many additional pairs of eyes working on your case, combing documents and looking for evidence that will benefit your defense.
Many times, success in these types of cases is directly related to the amount of time that a lawyer puts into a case. Attorneys at a private law firm have the luxury of being more selective with their cases. Unlike public defenders or solo practitioners, they will have more time to dedicate to each individual case they have on their plate, which is incredibly valuable in cases as serious as federal fraud charges.
