In Arizona, the term fraud broadly defines many different crimes whose purpose is to swindle or trick someone into giving money or other forms of benefit. If an individual purposefully misrepresents themselves or their business in any way to obtain a benefit that they are not entitled to, they are committing fraud and if caught are facing serious felony charges.
If you have been charged with committing any kind of fraud in Arizona, a conviction will have lasting consequences on your life. If you have been charged, call us today and our criminal defense attorneys will fight for you.
According to A.R.S 13-2310, a fraudulent scheme and artifice is any intentional strategy to obtain any form of benefit by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, promises, representations and omissions. In simpler words, a fraudulent scheme is any intentional action to defraud and obtain something of benefit and there are many forms of this type of fraud.
In regard to fraudulent schemes, the word benefit is used to define anything that someone would gain in the process of defrauding someone else. For example, if someone were to intentionally pay for a watch with a fake check or counterfeit bills, the watch that was obtained by illegal use of a fake check or bills is considered the benefit and the person’s charges would then be based on the monetary value of the watch.
Common Examples of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices:
Fraudulent schemes are a class two felony in Arizona and a class two felony carries a sentence of 3-12.5 years for first time offenses, hefty fines and probation. Even though committing a fraudulent scheme is a class two felony, a judge does have the ability to lower or increase the severity of the penalties.
The possible punishments a defendant faces for fraudulent schemes in Arizona depends on two criteria: their criminal history and the amount of benefit they received. If the defendant has previous convictions, especially fraud convictions, a judge will not be lenient. If the fraudulent scheme resulted in an individual being schemed out of a large amount of money, this too will result in a judge handing out a harsh sentence.
The most common penalties for defendants facing charges of fraud:
In addition to facing jail time, if you are convicted of committing a fraudulent scheme, your current and future employment is in jeopardy as many employers are prevented from hiring you for positions such as accountant or office manager due to a fraudulent scheme conviction.
If you have been charged with committing a fraudulent scheme, you are facing serious charges and an extended period of time behind bars if convicted. If you have been charged with committing a fraudulent scheme in Arizona, the criminal defense team at JacksonWhite is here to help you.
The severity of the penalties for committing a fraudulent scheme depend on two criteria: previous convictions and what benefit was obtained. This means that if an individual is charged with fraudulent schemes but has no previous convictions and the benefit was of little value, an experienced criminal defense attorney can work with the prosecuting attorney to have the penalty reduced to probation with no jail time.
The criminal defense lawyers at JacksonWhite have years of experience helping individuals who have been charged with fraud in Arizona. If you have been charged, call us today to schedule your free case review.