A conspiracy to defraud the United States is a serious crime. If you have been accused of such a crime, you have plenty of options.
Going over what it means to conspire to defraud the United States and speaking with a Chicago federal criminal defense attorney will allow you to protect your innocence.
What Is A Conspiracy?
A conspiracy is an agreement between at least two people to do something illegal.
Just as an example, let’s say that two people agree to steal credit card information through a fraudulent online store that they have created.
If those two people agree to do that, then that is a conspiracy.
These individuals cannot be charged with a conspiracy unless they know that what they are planning to do is illegal and they commit at least one overt act that furthers the conspiracy.
Regarding the example outlined earlier, an overt act might be setting up a website.
Right after an overt act has been taken, a conspiracy charge becomes valid. As a result, the two people who have conspired to do something illegal are charged with a conspiracy.
What Is A Conspiracy To Defraud The United States?
A conspiracy to defraud the United States is very similar to a standard federal conspiracy charge. Even though this is the case, there is one major difference.
If two – or more, of course – people are charged with a conspiracy to defraud the United States, then this means that they have conspired “either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose.”
Some of that language is rather vague. And for that reason, you can find three examples of a conspiracy to defraud the United States right below:
- Stealing from a Federal insurance program.
- Committing Social Security fraud.
- Obstructing the functioning of the federal government.
- Obtaining a fraudulent PPP loan.
If any one of those crimes has been committed then, so long as it affects the federal government, it will be considered a conspiracy to defraud the United States.
What Happens If You Are Convicted Of A Conspiracy To Defraud The United States?
If you are convicted of a conspiracy to defraud the United States, you will, generally speaking, receive a sentence of no more than five years. You will also be fined based on the profit/loss gathered from your conspiracy.
On the other hand, though, that is only if you are charged with a conspiracy alone.
You can be charged with the criminal acts that occurred, which will almost always lengthen your sentence.
Given the severity of being convicted of a conspiracy to defraud the United States, it is of the utmost importance that you work with an attorney who can and will defend your innocence in court.
Get Qualified Legal Help
If you need representation for a conspiracy accusation, then Glasgow & Olsson is uniquely qualified to help you. When you need an attorney, experience matters. Our team has helped thousands of people who have been charged with crimes like conspiracy to defraud the United States. When we take cases, we do so to win. This means we take cases to trial. We don’t arrange plea bargains unless it is in the best interest of our clients. As proactive lawyers, we fight aggressively and support our clients throughout their entire case, including appeals. Protecting your life and freedom is always the goal, and with our decades of experience practicing law, we know how to get results. This is why we are regularly invited to appear as legal experts on popular radio and news outlets, including CNN, NBC, and Fox.
Contact a Chicago criminal defense attorney today to learn how we can get you the outcome you deserve.