California Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

You can't steal this much money and be stupid, can you? Apparently, Kathy Chen thought so. Now, not so much. Chen was arrested recently for buying 35 properties using stolen names or likely paying people to use their identity to get loans.

The total amount of fraud? 17.5 million dollars. She had help. Two others, believed to be in Mexico, helped her steal the money. This kind of fraud has become rampant, especially during the credit boom earlier in the decade. Lenders didn't look too hard at borrowers, instead relying on rising home values to protect them in case of default.

Chen, 49, of Westminster, California, is facing over 100 years in prison on these charges. Most thieves don't save their money. White collar fraud cases can resolve well if the defendants can pay back the money, but if not, the state prison system awaits.

White Collar fraud takes many forms. Mortgage fraud is one version, and requires a lot of effort to accomplish. Whether or not Chen intended to service these loans will be an issue, in terms of degree of culpability. In any event, she will need an experienced White Collar defense attorney to assist her.

Continue reading " Orange County Woman Defrauds Lenders of Millions " »

Can the tissue-thin fabric of Homeland Security withstand another tear in it? The Orange County Register reported today that federal authorities arrested Eamon Higgins on charges that he was illegally helping some Arabs take college exams in order to extend their visas in the United States.

Seems Mr. 'iggins would earn about eleven hundred dollars per test, sometimes even more when he attended class for his "students". Wow. Can I option this story for my Movie of the Week, entitled, "How to Succeed in Education Without Even Showing Up"?

This reeks of a terrorist plot to me. Bet that the Feds are kicking over all the rocks on this one. Fraud of this nature is apparently rarely discovered. What's funny is that the kind of fraud discovered here happens every day at the DMV, the heartland of immigrant fraud in California. Fraud can be prosecuted as a felony or a misdemeanor. In simple cases of ID fraud, there is probation and fines. In the more sophisticated cases like this one, jail or prison time is assured.

Fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or damage to another and comes in many different forms. Since these are serious crimes that Higgins has been charged with, he will need an experienced fraud defense attorney to assist him. Whether you live in Irvine, Brea or Santa Ana, if you have been charged with fraud, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

Continue reading " Orange County Fraudster Takes Exam for Terrorists? " »