News & Blog
Potential Penalties in a Federal Criminal Case
September 1st, 2023
Being charged with a federal crime means you have allegedly violated a law enacted by the United States Congress, as opposed to a law enacted by a state. Federal crimes typically involve federally regulated activities, such as crimes involving the ma…
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Categories: Sentencing and Appeals
Supreme Court Reins in Wire Fraud and Honest Services / Corruption Prosecutions Yet Ag
August 23rd, 2023
In May, the US Supreme Court issued another in a string of decisions that limit prosecutors from expanding federal fraud prosecutions beyond the scope intended by the statute. In Ciminelli v. US, the US Supreme Court continued its trend of finding th…
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Categories: Fraud
Third Circuit Limits Amount of Loss in Wire Fraud Case Involving Disadvantaged Business Enterprises
August 18th, 2023
In United States v. Kousisis, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued another important and precedent-setting ruling and further clarified its decision in United States v, Banks, holding that even where government contracts are procured by misrepre…
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Categories: Sentencing and Appeals
Impact of United States v. Banks: Using “Actual” Loss Instead of “Intended” Loss
August 17th, 2023
The United States Sentencing Guidelines provide courts with a framework for sentencing criminal defendants. In cases involving allegations of financial conduct and economic losses, the Guidelines place a heavy emphasis on the amount of loss as a prim…
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Categories: Sentencing and Appeals
What Agencies Are Responsible for Investigating Federal Crimes?
May 1st, 2023
The overwhelming majority of crimes in the United States are investigated and prosecuted by state agencies. But crimes that cross state lines or involve violations of federal laws are investigated by the Department of Justice and its federal investig…
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Categories: Federal Law
CEO Gets 44 Months for Massive Bond Fraud
May 1st, 2023
Michael Hild, the founder and former CEO of Live Well Financial, Inc., was sentenced in January to 44 months in prison for his role in orchestrating a $200 million bond fraud scheme. Live Well was a Virginia-based company that handled government-guar…
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Categories: Fraud
How Does the Jurisdiction of State and Federal Court Differ?
April 3rd, 2023
When the United States was founded in 1776, tension existed between the federal and state governments regarding power, the ability to tax, and control of the courts and legal systems. This tension continues today and is evident in the separate jurisd…
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Categories: Federal Law
SEC Approves New Insider Trading Rules
April 3rd, 2023
In December 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted unanimously to adopt amendments to rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. The changes are intended to address concerns about insider trading abuse by executives bas…
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Categories: Federal Law
Sam Bankman-Fried Denies Fraud Charges
April 3rd, 2023
Sam Bankman-Fried, the 30-year-old co-founder of crypto-exchange FTX, was charged in December with multiple counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, and violating campaign finance regulations. Federal prosecutors claim th…
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Categories: Fraud
Pfizer’s Supreme Court Appeal Over Anti-Kickback Lawsuit
April 3rd, 2023
In October 2022, Pfizer filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court seeking to overturn a decision regarding the anti-kickback lawsuit which prohibited Pfizer from providing financial assistance to Medicare beneficiaries to obtain Vyndaqel…
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