According to the indictment, taxpayers were swindled out of millions of dollars.  Many of those charged claimed to be suffering from mental illnesses due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The indictment was based on a two-year investigation by federal and state authorities.  An official in charge of determining eligibility for Social Security disability, Thomas Hale, has also been charged for aiding in the fraud.

In fraud cases, a major sentencing factor is the amount of loss involved.  Some of the individuals may be charged in conspiracies and held responsible for the losses in their case as well as the losses in their co-defendants’ cases.  The United States Sentencing Guidelines is extremely important in determining an individual’s exposure at sentencing.  The Guidelines is a lengthy document and can be difficult to understand.  It is used in order to prepare your presentence investigation report.  This report includes an individual’s charges, the offense conduct, criminal history, any applicable enhancements for the charged offense(s) and a suggested sentencing range (obtained from the Guidelines).  The report is supplied to the judge at sentencing after objections are made and the judge usually relies on it heavily when sentencing a defendant.  Given the importance of the Guidelines in the sentencing phase, an individual charged in a fraud case should be sure to retain counsel that is readily familiar with the Guidelines.

We have attorneys licensed in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida that are very experienced in the federal arena.  Our criminal defense attorneys are dedicated to their clients and make it a personal goal to provide their clients with the best defense possible.  We believe that is exactly what our clients deserve.  We keep our clients fully informed through every stage of the process.  If you need to speak with a federal fraud defense attorney, contact The Mace Firm for a free consultation at 1-800-948-7425.