Miami Fraud Attorney

Defense for Federal Fraud Charges in Florida

The basic definition of fraud is the crime of obtaining money or property from another person by way of deliberate deception. The primary purpose of fraud is for financial gain, although the offender may have another purpose or purposes as well. There are many forms of fraud, all covered by different federal laws.

Credit Card Fraud

Credit card fraud is a federal crime that relates to attempting or carrying out a scheme to defraud others and involves credit or debit cards. It may involve simple theft, as in a case where an alleged perpetrator physically steals another's card and uses it. Credit card fraud may also be carried out via the internet, hacking, or other computer crimes.

Essentially, the offense would involve misrepresenting information, counterfeiting, forgery or any other form of fraud or deceit to possibly obtain another's credit card information or to defraud vendors by using a counterfeit card.

Health Care Fraud

Health care fraud cases may involve complex financial matters and an extensive amount of investigation to get to the bottom of the matter. In these situations, it is important that your attorney be experienced with handling health care fraud charges from a legal standpoint.

It is also important for your attorney to have the resources and connections with experts in medicine, economics, forensics, computers, and other fields that are relevant to the case.

Mr. Mirer is skilled in handling all types of health care fraud cases throughout South Florida, including those involving:

• Billing for medical services not provided
• Overbilling
• Prescribing or billing medical equipment that is unnecessary, or that is never actually provided
• Kickbacks or self-referrals
• Medicare fraud
• Medicaid fraud
• Medical billing fraud
• Filing false cost reports

Defense for Medicare Fraud Charges

As a medical professional, it can be difficult to keep up with the extensive paperwork required for your services. When the federal government observes an error in healthcare bills from your facility, you may face investigation for healthcare fraud. Fortunately, an inspection does not have to be the end of the line.

Retain a strong defense to avoid penalties for the following:

• Charging for the same service multiple times
• Billing for services that were not performed
• Billing patients that do not exist
• Providing false information
• Other informational errors

Protect your practice!

Errors are practically inevitable for facilities that handle a large volume of paperwork. Don't let your profession suffer on account of a simple mistake; contact the Law Office of Michael Mirer, P.A. to speak with a top criminal defense attorney in Miami-Dade.

Attorney Michael Mirer has a reputation for client-oriented service, as demonstrated in his recent nomination among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers for 2014 by The National Trial Lawyers.

With extensive experience in criminal defense, Attorney Mirer is prepared to protect your rights and your practice. Contact us today to learn how we can help!

Mail Fraud

Mail fraud is a serious federal crime. If you are convicted, you may face 20 or even 30 years in prison, along with extremely high fines. If a financial institution was targeted or affected by the scheme you allegedly planned and carried out, you may face imprisonment for 30 years and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Even if the attempt is not successful, you may still face mail fraud charges.

Mail fraud involves using the postal system to send information with the purpose of committing fraud. Mail fraud may therefore include other federal crimes, such as mortgage fraud, identity theft, organized fraud, health care fraud, and more - as long as the postal system was used in the commission of the crime.

Mortgage Fraud

Mortgage fraud is a federal crime that involves the lending industry, home loans and loans for all types of real estate. Buyers, sellers, lenders, investors and brokers may all be at risk of facing mortgage fraud charges some point, particularly in today's struggling housing market.

Law enforcement throughout Florida and the rest of the U.S. are cracking down hard upon those suspected of mortgage fraud, possibly looking for someone to blame given the current situation.

Mortgage fraud may involve any of the following actions:

• Falsification of financial information, such as the buyer's assets
• False employment verification letters
• Fraudulent W-2 forms
• False information on the mortgage loan application

Tax Fraud

The terms "tax fraud" and "tax evasion" are used interchangeably, they both refer to when an individual or business willfully and intentionally falsifies information on a tax return in order to reduce their tax liability. The crime of tax fraud or tax evasion essentially involves cheating on one's tax return in an attempt to pay less than the entire tax obligation.

In the United States, tax fraud and tax evasion are covered under 26 USC § 7201 – Attempt to Evade or Defeat Tax which states that: any person who willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any tax imposed or the payment thereof shall, in addition to other penalties imposed by the law, shall be guilty of a felony offense, and upon conviction, the person shall be fined a maximum of $100,000 ($500,000 for a corporation), or imprisoned for a maximum of 5 years, or both, along with covering the costs of prosecution.

Common examples of tax fraud and tax evasion include:

• Keeping a double set of books;
• Creating false invoices;
• Claiming false deductions;
• Claiming personal expenses as business deductions (e.g. dining out, flowers, gifts to clients, personal computers, hotels etc.)
• Failure to report income;
• Placing assets in someone else's name;
• Dealing in cash; and
• Paying debts in someone else's name.

In Spies v. United States, 317 U.S. 492, 63 S. Ct. 364, 87 L. Ed. 418 (1943), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that an Over Act is necessary in order for a crime to be considered income tax evasion. This means the government must demonstrate that the taxpayer attempted to evade the tax as opposed to passively neglecting to file their return, which can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor offense under § 7203.

Wire Fraud

If you have been arrested or are currently under investigation for wire fraud, much is at stake. You may be in danger of facing federal charges and severe penalties if you are convicted, including up to 20 or 30 years in prison and fines of up to $1,000,000. Involving an attorney as early in the process as possible is important if you are to have the best opportunity of successfully fighting your charges and avoiding a conviction.

Enlist a skilled Miami federal attorney for your case!

Are you under investigation for fraud, or have you been arrested for any type of federal crime relating to fraud? Miami criminal defense lawyer Michael Mirer can offer you valuable legal support and guidance during this difficult time.

With his experience as a trial attorney and as a former prosecutor, Attorney Mirer can work to aggressively defend your rights and interests in every step of the legal process associated with your charges. Attorney Mirer is dedicated not only to aggressive representation but also to providing his clients with the personal attention they deserve.

Contact a Miami fraud defense lawyer from the Law Office of Michael Mirer, P.A. today for a free consultation to discuss your case.