Theft and Fraud include a huge range of crimes that come with varying consequences. If you have been charged with either a fraud or theft crime, taking a step back to reevaluate what to do next is important.
Whether it was yesterday or five years ago, knowing what steps to take if you have committed fraud or theft is essential for you and your family.
Fraudulent charges involve falsifying information to obtain financial gain. In contrast, theft involves obtaining an item that is not yours without paying for it. Arizona is incredibly strict on any criminal that has committed fraud or theft, so read on to learn about what steps to take for you or your family member.
Fraud is a punishable offense in Arizona and all throughout the country and can come with extreme consequences. Oftentimes, in Arizona, fraud is considered a felony, and the appropriate consequences will follow.
Incredibly similar to the definition of fraud, theft in Arizona is labeled as a crime committed when someone gets an item, service, or financial gain without paying for anything.
Understanding what fraud and theft are and knowing what steps to take to protect yourself against fraud as well as know-how to get help if you have committed fraud, is crucial.
Fraud is considered anytime someone falsifies information in a way to give themselves a financial gain. There are a variety of types of fraud, including insurance fraud, check fraud and more.
Depending on what type of fraud or theft you have committed will decide whether you are charged at the state or federal level. Sometimes, if the charges are extreme and there have been large financial gain, you could be tried at both levels.
While many people see fraud as only involving financial gains, it can also involve tangible goods and services. That means that anytime someone uses fraudulent information to guide users into buying or obtaining a product, it would be considered fraud.
By persuading others to purchase an item by using false means, you could quickly be convicted of fraudulent behavior. The same goes for stealing items that do not belong to you and committing theft.
Being convicted with fraud charges in Arizona definitely have there share of consequence. From paying fines over 100,000 to serving jail time, fraud is not taken lightly in the state of Arizona.
The range of your sentence and the fines you will pay greatly depends on the intensity of the theft or fraud and how large of crime is committed. For example, a person who falsifies information to obtain 10,000 dollars will not face the same charges as someone who obtained 100,000.
Fraudulent crimes in Arizona have a huge variance, and all of the consequences will be based on just how much money they gain was.
Arizona is an incredibly strict state across the border, and theft is one area that they do not waver. Misdemeanor theft is considered by many as petty theft, as it includes any incident where 1,000 dollars or less in money or goods were stolen.
Classified as a Class 1 Misdeamnor, petty theft comes with a variety of consequences. You can expect to pay at most 2000 dollars in fines. You will also likely serve jail time that can range from no jail time up to 6 months. After being charged with petty theft, you can also be looking at three years of probation and more.
Many times when it comes to theft, you will have to pay restitution. Simply put, restitution means you pay back the amount of the goods, services, or money that was stolen.
The consequences for theft will increase with the amount of money that was stolen, no matter if it is actually money or a good or service. As you climb up the ladder, the consequences and felony types will increase greatly.
It is also important to note that in Arizona, someone can be charged for crimes up to seven years after they happened. With every theft charge in Arizona, you will be looking at jail time, high fines, as well as probation.
From a class 1 misdeamnor all the way up to a felony charge, theft charges are not something to take lightly. One major area of theft that has extreme consequences is shoplifting that can have consequences that range to a class 4 felony.
When it comes to the court system, the prosecutor’s main goal is to prove in whatever way they can, beyond a reasonable doubt, that fraud was committed. Hiring an Arizona lawyer that will defend you will make sure you have someone fighting on your behalf.
There are many ways that prosecutors try to show that you committed a crime, and they can dive into every ounce of personal details to do so. Protecting yourself with a knowledgeable Arizona attorney is a great step to take.
Fraudulent and theft charges can vary drastically from simple petty theft to full-blown Ponzi schemes. No matter what type of theft or fraud you have committed, your best line of defense is an Arizona attorney that knows the laws in and out. Many Arizona attorneys have been prosecutors in the past and will know the questions they will ask as well as how to defend you best.
Even if you have been convicted of a theft or fraud crime years ago, the charge can easily follow you around, which is another reason to get yourself the help you need. Many times housing and lending companies are far less likely to approve any kind of loan if you have a fraud or theft charge on your background check.
The same goes for housing companies, as well as employers. Often if you have been convicted of theft in the past, any type of retail company will pass your resume by without thinking twice. That is why it is absolutely crucial to find a reliable and dependable Arizona lawyer that will know your case and help you in whatever way possible.
Fraudulent and theft charges or convictions are not something to mess around. With the wide range of charges and crimes that can be committed, they can include jail time from zero days up to years upon years in prison.
Being charged with a fraudulent crime means that in one way or another information has been falsified to obtain a gain financially. This can include credit card fraud, insurance fraud, identity fraud, and so much more. Because there are so many different types of fraud that can be committed, the law will vary depending on the action taken as well as how much money was obtained.
The same goes for theft charges that can include petty charges for theft under 1000 dollars to major theft that can land you in years of jail with a mountain of fines. No matter if you have been charged with fraud or theft, it is important to protect yourself now as these charges can greatly impact your life for years to come.
Reaching out to an Arizona attorney who has defended others in the exact situation is the best step you can take for yourself or your family member moving forward.