What should I do if I am under investigation for identiy and immigration fraud?

If you are under investigation, seek out legal counsel before making any statement or promises to the police or governmental authorities. Remember, no one has to talk to the police.

Hire a criminal defense attorney immediately.

You need to obtain a free initial consultation with an experienced Federal Law criminal law defense Attorney. You did not mention if the fraud charge would be a Federal crime, as well. Immigration is a complex area. The penalties for convictions under Federal Law are severe. You need to provide more information to effectively advise you.You have no specific charges yet, so it is not possible to advise you about your potential exposure/prison sentence. If you have no record, your potential sentence could certainly be less. You should definitely try to receive probation, if at all possible.

You should IMMEDIATELY hire a lawyer versed in both criminal and immigration law. If you can't find such a lawyer hire a criminal lawyer and have him consult with an immigration lawyer. If they come around to question you KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Good luck.

The best thing to do would be to hire an attorney and discuss the specifics of your case with them. They will likely have access to your local court system and can make inquiries into the nature of the investigation. The maximum penalty for identity fraud crimes was recently expanded under Federal sentencing guidelines to 5 years in prison. Due to the potentially very serious nature of identity theft allegations it is very important to secure competent legal defense. If you are seeking representation in this matter in the state of Louisiana we invite you to contact our firm at the information provided on this page to schedule a free case evaluation.

Anytime a person is under investigation, I recommend not answering questions or discussing the issues with anyone but an attorney and to seek immediate representation. Any comments you make can be used against you in a criminal or civil action. There is no guarantee that any statements you make will be taken down accurately or that they will be used in context of how they were intended. If you would like to give me a call, I would be happy to try to anwer any additional questions you may have.

No amount of free 'tips and hints' from here or anywhere else are going to help you, other than to exercise your 5th Amendment right to SHUT UP and do NOT talk to anyone except your attorney about your case. Hire one immediately. You will learn the actual charges filed, and the potential penalties they carry, once you are arrested and then appear for arraignment at your first court hearing. You can speculate better than anyone else what the charges will be, you are the one they are investigating, and you are the one who knows what the evidence might show. If charged with a felony, you potentially face years in prison time if convicted. If charged with a misdemeanor, you face up to 6-12 months in jail. On each count. When arrested and charged with any crime, the proper questions are, can you be convicted, and what can you do? Defend the charges. Go to court, enter a not guilty plea, set up and attend the court hearing[s] and trial date[s]. File evidence suppression or other motions as applicable. Raise all the available defenses with whatever admissible and credible witnesses, evidence and facts are available for legal arguments for motions, diversion, plea-bargaining, or at trial. Go to trial if it can't be resolved with motions or a plea bargain. There is no magic wand to wave and make it all disappear. If you don't know how to do these things, then hire an attorney that does, who will try to get a dismissal, diversion, reduction or other decent outcome through plea bargain for you, or take it to trial. If serious about doing so, and if this is in SoCal courts, feel free to contact me. Ill be happy to help you use whatever defenses you may have. If you can't afford private counsel, you can apply for the Public Defender once arrested.