by annfitz | Nov 30, 2018 | Cooperation Agreements, Federal Crime, Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Guilty Plea, Mandatory Minimums, White Collar Crime
Substantial Assistance Cooperation agreements are usually embodied in the text of a plea agreement and require the defendant to perform some act of “substantial assistance” to the government. Substantial assistance can involve providing information that...
by annfitz | Nov 28, 2018 | Conspiracy, Federal Crime, Money Laundering, Southern District of Florida, White Collar Crime
Alejandro Andrade Cedeno (Andrade), 54, a Venezuelan citizen residing in Wellington, Florida and a former Venezuelan national treasurer, was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg in the West Palm Beach Division of the...
On behalf of Law Office of Ann Fitz | Nov 20, 2018 | Money Laundering
When an individual earns income via illegal channels, they will often take measures to conceal where that money came from. While the concept of money laundering may evoke images of organized crime, it is also a practice that occurs in white collar settings, and it can...
by annfitz | Nov 15, 2018 | Federal Crime, Federal Sentencing Guidelines, First Step Act, Mandatory Minimums, Prison Reform, Sentencing Reform
President Trump announced his support for the First Step Act, a bipartisan agreement for prison reform, at the White House yesterday. The First Step Act passed the House in May with only prison reform included, earning support from virtually all Republicans and more...
by annfitz | Nov 14, 2018 | Denaturalization, Federal Crime, Federal Trial, Immigration Fraud, Operation Janus, Southern District of Florida, U.S. Citizenship Application, U.S. Supreme Court, White Collar Crime
Etevaldo Ferreira De Souza, 47, of West Palm Beach, was found guilty by a jury on November 9 of one count of making false statements in a naturalization proceeding, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a). According to the evidence presented at trial, De Souza was charged...
by annfitz | Nov 13, 2018 | Bank Fraud, Conspiracy, Federal Crime, Federal Trial, Fraud, Investment Fraud, Money Laundering, Securities Fraud, Southern District of Florida, Tax Evasion, White Collar Crime, Wire Fraud
A federal judge delayed the criminal trial of Palm House developer Robert Matthews, his wife and a real estate attorney until next summer. All three defendants, who are free on bond, face charges related to the unfinished Palm House hotel-condominium project in Palm...
On behalf of Law Office of Ann Fitz | Nov 12, 2018 | Call Center Schemes, Credit Card Skimming, Drug Treatment/Sober Home Fraud, Federal Crime, Fortune Telling Scams, Fraud, Gas Pump Skimmer, Hurricane Fraud, Identity Theft, Immigration Fraud, Insurance Scams, Investment Fraud, Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams, Securities Fraud, Sober Homes, Southern District of Florida, White Collar Crime
The Sun Sentinel published an article today asking “What is it about South Florida that makes the region such an effective hatchery for scams and schemes?” Today’s article cites to a 2015 article that calls South Florida the nation’s organized...
On behalf of Law Office of Ann Fitz | Nov 8, 2018 | Conspiracy, Credit Card Fraud, Credit Card Skimming, Cyber Crimes, Federal Crime, Fraud, Guilty Plea, Identity Theft, Southern District of Florida, White Collar Crime, Wire Fraud
A former West Palm Beach, Florida resident pleaded guilty today to multiple criminal charges in connection with a sophisticated global cell phone fraud scheme that involved compromising cellphone customers’ accounts and “cloning” their phones to make fraudulent...
On behalf of Law Office of Ann Fitz | Nov 6, 2018 | Federal Crime, Federal Trial, Fraud, Identity Theft, Southern District of Florida, Tax Fraud, White Collar Crime
A Port St. Lucie, Florida, man was convicted by a federal jury yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida of ten counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false income tax returns and three counts of filing false income tax...
