Central Florida Fraud Law

If you or a loved one is charged with criminal fraud in Florida, it can be a confusing and frightening time. After all, fraud is a serious crime that carries with it severe punishments; it is also one of the most complicated Florida laws, with no single fraud section in the law books, but numerous types of fraud existing, each with its own rules and penalties. Instead, Florida statutes say that anyone who obtains property intended for another by impersonating them (essentially, fraud) will be punished under the theft statutes. To understand all of this and learn how to fight for your rights, you need to hire an experienced Orlando criminal lawyer who can guide you through the complexities of a criminal fraud case.

Some of the different types of fraudulent criminal practices covered by criminal law in Florida include:

817.021 – Using false information to obtain a seaport security card.
817.025 – Invading a home or private business by false impersonation.
817.03 – Obtaining property or credit by making a false statement.
817.034 – Florida Communication Fraud Act.
817.037 – Fraudulent refunds.
817.05 – Making false statements to merchants as to your financial condition.
817.06 – Using misleading advertisements.
817.15 – Making false entries, etc., on books of corporation.
817.17 – Wrongful use of city name.
817.23 – Making false affidavit to defraud an insurer.
817.2361 – False or fraudulent proof of motor vehicle insurance.
817.29 – Cheating.

In our currently troubled economy, more people are attempting to profit using schemes to defraud, so Florida law enforcement has renewed its focus on fraud and made it a priority to crack down on those perpetrating it. Criminal lawyers in central Florida will tell you that one of the unfortunate side effects of this crack down is that increasing numbers of people and companies are being investigated and arrested for fraud over simple failures or business disputes. This isn’t criminal conduct and should be handled as a civil suit.

An Orlando criminal attorney can help you to argue this very thing, and has the resources and knowledge to make sure you receive the strongest possible defense. Because the law is so complicated, many criminal lawyers in central Florida utilize experts to support your case like investigators, tax consultants, appraisers, forensic accountants, and professionals in industries similar to yours to talk about common business tactics.

The important thing to remember if you are charged with fraud is that you’ve most likely been under investigation for a long time. Because of this, you’ll have to deal with a prosecutor that has comprehensive and extensive information on you and your business – possibly going back years!

To combat this aggressive assault against you and your business, you want an experienced central Florida criminal lawyer on your side who will work tirelessly to have the penalties reduced or even get the charges dismissed completely.