Orlando Technology Crime Lawyer
Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace. Unfortunately, that also means that technology crime is becoming more frequent as well. Normally, these crimes are federal offenses. That means prosecutors have almost unlimited resources to file criminal charges which contain dozens, or even hundreds, of separate allegations. Furthermore, because of the Federal Sentencing Act, prosecutors often try to limit defendants to boilerplate plea bargain agreements. However, the FSA is only a discretionary guideline.
So, the diligent Orlando technology crime lawyers at Joshi Law Firm, PA have additional leeway in these cases. As a result, we are often able to successfully resolve these claims out of court. However, we never look for the easy way out. Instead, we prepare every case as if it will go all the way to trial. Since prosecutors know we are willing to go the distance, they often give in and agree to favorable settlements.
Common Technology Crimes
Today’s high-tech crimes sometimes involve some very low-tech criminal activity. In fact, some technology criminals are little more than dumpster divers. This activity is certainly illegal. However, federal prosecutors usually focus on larger-scale technology crimes which, in many cases, involve hundreds, thousands, or even millions of separate counts. Some examples include:
- Phishing: Fraudsters forge emails or websites in an effort to obtain personal information from unsuspecting internet users. Stealing financial information is usually the primary goal, although other types of personal information are valuable on the black market as well. Phishing is, by far, the most common technology crime in Florida.
- Internet: The most common internet scam is the Nigerian scam, which is also known as the 419 scam, so named for the section of Nigerian law it violates. Fraudsters ask people to send a small sum of money so they can supposedly obtain more money later. This fraud predates the internet, but the internet is now the primary vehicle for this and similar schemes.
- Stalking and Harassment: Since the internet’s relative anonymity makes some people feel protected, they are much more likely to commit these acts online rather than in person.
Technology crimes are usually federal offenses, even if the misconduct was entirely localized. Usually, these defendants use equipment which was manufactured out of state. These charges fall under the umbrella of white-collar crimes, a term which describes nonviolent property offenses which involve deception or dishonesty as opposed to threats or coercion.
Some Defenses to Technology Crimes
Most of these matters involve confessions or tips from third party informants. Both these linchpins are quite weak in many cases.
Confessions often involve procedural defenses, such as investigative misconduct. It’s illegal for police officers to lie to defendants and say that a partner in crime has already confessed. However, police officers are well aware of where this line is, and they know how to dance around it.
Lineups could be an issue as well, especially in cases like gas station skimming offenses. Common issues include the lack of a double-blind lineup. Neither the administering officer nor the witness should know the defendant’s identity. If that’s not the case, administering officers often try to give witnesses subtle, or not-so-subtle, hints about which person or photograph to select.
Generally, third-party informers receive money or leniency in exchange for their cooperation.Many people will say almost anything for love or money. So, these statements are usually unreliable, unless the informer had a very good track record or the state can provide some corroborating evidence.
Reach Out to a Hard-Working Orange County Lawyer
White collar criminal charges often don’t hold up in court. For a free consultation with an experienced technology crime lawyer in Orlando, contact the Joshi Law Firm, PA. Virtual and after-hours visits are available.
