A 36-year-old man and his 33-year-old brother have been found guilty of multiple crimes in relation to a $15 million foreclosure scam. A spokeswoman with the Department of Justice reported that the two men were found guilty of mail fraud and other charges. Officials say that the brothers worked for Head Financial, which operated in Orange County between January 2004 and March 2006. During that time, the company promised to help homeowners avoid foreclosure but instead tricked them into signing over titles to their homes, prosecutors said. In 2008, 16 people were indicted in connection with the alleged scam.
Mail fraud is a federal white-collar crime. You may face mail fraud charges if the authorities believe that you used a mail carrier to send or receive materials in a scheme to commit fraud. In many cases, the mail portion of the scheme is very minor. But once it is established that the fraud scheme involved the mail system, the charges may escalate to a federal court case.
It is absolutely vital to aggressively fight federal mail fraud charges because the penalties can include up to 20 years in federal prison. Possible defenses that a skilled federal criminal defense attorney will consider include:
- Mistake of fact: Did the defendant knowingly commit a crime? Business issues are often very complicated. In order to secure a conviction, the prosecution will have to show that specific intent was involved.
- Lack of intent: Complicated schemes that occur in a business environment can be difficult to understand. It is not uncommon for innocent people to get caught up in a fraudulent scheme that is being run by their supervisor.
The Orange County criminal defense team at the Law Offices of David A. Stein has a track record of successfully fighting white-collar crime charges. If you or a loved one has been arrested on suspicion of fraud, call our offices at 949-445-0040 to discuss the circumstances of your case at absolutely no cost. for the consultation.