Federal Consumer Fraud

Criminal Defense Attorney Allen Sawyer has years of experience defending a range of criminal cases at both the state and federal level. His law practice, The Law Offices of Allen Sawyer, provides aggressive criminal defense for clients in Stockton, Sacramento, and Northern California against charges of federal consumer fraud and other federal and state offenses.

Knowledgeable Federal Consumer Fraud Defense

Among the faster-growing white collar crimes, consumer fraud—which involves the intentional and knowing deception of consumers that leads to financial or other loss—has drawn the attention of the federal government, leading to a growing interest in prosecuting federal consumer fraud cases. Being charged with federal consumer fraud is serious, as a conviction could lead to prison time and high fines, not to mention a devastating blow to your professional reputation. If you’ve been charged—or think you might be charged—with federal consumer fraud, you should immediately secure a federal criminal defense attorney capable of handling the complexities of such a case. California criminal defense attorney Allen Sawyer possesses in-depth knowledge of the laws related to consumer fraud and has experience both with federal criminal cases and how to putting together a solid defense that will be specifically effective for your unique case.

What Is Consumer Fraud? 

Consumer fraud essentially can be defined as the use of deceptive business practices to defraud consumers, causing them to lose money or suffer some other sort of loss. Numerous federal laws have been put in place to protect consumers against false promises, fraudulent claims, and other acts that qualify as consumer fraud. Examples of consumer fraud include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Identity theft
• Credit card fraud
• Pyramid and Ponzi schemes
• Email and telephone scams
• The sale of counterfeit goods
• Abusive or threatening sales practices
• Phishing scams
• And more

What Makes Consumer Fraud a Federal Offense? 

Consumer fraud is escalated to a federal crime when it impacts interstate or foreign commerce. As per the federal statute 15 U.S.C. §§ 41-58, known as the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act), the Federal Trade Commission has full authority to investigate instances of consumer fraud related to interstate commerce. Beyond the FTC Act, other federal laws exist for prosecuting consumer-fraud-related offenses (e.g. credit card fraud—18 U.S.C. § 1029). Due to the complexity of federal consumer fraud cases, it is imperative that your criminal defense attorney has a thorough understanding of the specific types of consumer fraud connected to your case. Federal consumer fraud convictions bring a range of penalties, including prison time and steep fines. While it is true that the onus rests on the federal prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the individual charged with consumer fraud acted knowingly, willingly, and with the intent to defraud in order to convict, it is essential that you secure a criminal defense lawyer who possesses the experience and know-how to devise an aggressive and effective defense for you. Federal criminal defense attorney Allen Sawyer is prepared to formulate the best legal strategy possible toward getting the charges against you dismissed or securing an acquittal.