Identity theft is defined as obtaining someone’s identifying information, whether that be a name, date of birth, social security information, for the purposes of obtaining goods or services through the use of that information. A person can commit identity theft in a number of ways. The person can obtain the information and then sell it or the person can obtain the information and then use that information for nefarious purposes.
A person can even obtain that information and compile it, and the use of it is unknown. All of these may fall under the umbrella of identity theft. Depending on some information, the person may face other serious charges as well, but simply obtaining someone else’s information with their permission may be an identity theft under certain circumstances. A Fredericksburg identity theft lawyer can help you with a robust defense and mitigation techniques. If you are uncertain if your situation involves identity theft or if you are facing charges, contact an experienced attorney today.
There are a lot of common scenarios that may involve identity theft. These may include credit card-related offenses where someone has obtained identity information from credit card information. It may include even drug offenses where someone is involved in illegal drug trade and they are using someone else’s identity to cover up their own.
There is a wide variety of ways that a person may be caught committing identity theft that involves any illegal activity. It may include taskforce investigations in which local state attorney, federal taskforce, et cetera try to crack down on identity theft. A person may traffick information or sell information to a confidential informant or an undercover law enforcement officer. They may also be caught trying to use that to verify information for a real purpose. For example, someone may be trying to use illegally-obtained credit card information.
A Fredericksburg identity theft lawyer knows that the immediate consequences of a conviction may include jail or prison time, potential fines, probation, restrictions on liberty, and things of that nature. The best action to take is to pay the amount of restitution if a monetary damage occurred. The long-term consequences may include difficulty attaining employment, loss of civil rights, loss of firearm rights, things of that nature. Long-term consequences may include difficulty seeking gainful employment, long-time probation and a criminal record, difficulty in obtaining housing, difficulty in obtaining business licenses, et cetera.
The ramifications of the charges, the elements of the offense, legal defenses and options a person has as well as what the exposures are if they have if they go to trial are assessed before making the decision to take a plea deal. A person may want to consider a plea negotiation through a Commonwealth’s Attorney. An experienced Fredericksburg identity theft attorney could be beneficial during the plea negotiation process.
Identity theft is a serious offense and can have local, state, or federal consequences. There are a wide variety of reasons why someone would want to get an attorney involved if they are ever charged or they are under investigation for identity theft. It is important to have an attorney involved to try and mitigate some of the penalties a person may face if they are caught committing identity theft. There are a lot of ways that someone may approach an identity theft accusation or identity theft charge. An attorney could request as much information about the case as possible, including any information on contact with law enforcement and other related entities as well as the information regarding their case and background. A person should be as honest as possible when talking to an attorney. Those who have been charged with identity theft should consult a Fredericksburg identity theft lawyer that could advocate for them.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
