Sunday, August 19, 2012

Counterfeit bills flood South Carolina town

On behalf of Anderson Law Firm posted in White Collar Crimes on Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Police in Aiken, South Carolina, claim a throng of counterfeit bills are flooding their community. Store owners have been warned that the ink is being washed off of $5 bills, which are then reprinted as $20 bills. Merchants have been advised to check for watermarks and security threads that identify the true value of the bill before accepting it. Police claim the counterfeiting is taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, and other big cities, with the fake bills later being sold in South Carolina.

White collar crimes are crimes that are financially motivated. These crimes can include embezzlement, money laundering, identity theft and counterfeiting. Law enforcement officials take these crimes seriously, often bringing federal charges. These felony charges can have harsh consequences if they result in a conviction. A conviction on a white collar crime can bring prison time, fines and damage a person's reputation.

For these reasons, it is important for an individual accused of a white collar crime to have a competent defense team that can get the charges reduced or dropped. In the counterfeiting context, many issues arise that can lead to a false conviction.

Money changes hands quickly. Yet, simple possession of a counterfeit bill without knowledge of its counterfeit status should not justify a conviction. It is important that investigators and prosecutors turn to the manufacturing of the counterfeit bills instead of trying to catch those simply possessing the bills.

Still, there are concerns when charges are brought against someone for manufacturing counterfeit bills. Many materials essential to counterfeiting can be used for other, non-criminal purposes. It would be wrong for a conviction to hang on simple possession of these materials without further proof of actual manufacturing or knowledge of the purpose for which the materials were being used by others.

A competent defense team will know how to approach these issues to ensure that a false conviction is not handed down.

Source: WJBF, "Rash of Counterfeit Bills Floating Around the CSRA," Robert Kittle and Kait Rayner, May 11, 2012

Tags: White collar crimes, criminal defense

Comments: Leave a comment

No CommentsLeave a commentComment InformationNamePlease enter your name.E-mail AddressPlease enter a valid e-mail address.WebsiteCommentCategoriesCriminal DefenseDrunk DrivingMisdemeanorsTheft And Property CrimesWhite Collar CrimesArchivesJuly 2012June 2012May 2012April 2012March 2012February 2012January 2012December 2011November 2011October 2011September 2011August 2011Complete Archives Recent Posts West Florence High vandalism could carry serious penalties Florence County man faces felony DUI charges Two South Carolina men charged in separate burglaries Two arrested in South Carolina and charged with murder Popular Topicsarrestedconvictioncriminal allegationscriminal chargescriminal defenseCriminal defenseCriminal Defensedefensedrug arrestsdrug chargesDrunk drivingdrunk drivingDUIdui chargesfield sobriety testsmisdemeanormisdemeanorsSouth Carolinasouth carolinatheftBlogroll Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Attorney Blog Phoenix Criminal Defense Attorney Blog Texas Drug Charge Attorney Blog

View the Original article

No comments:

Post a Comment