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There are scores of federal agencies across the country, with most of them not garnering any particularly strong reactions from Americans who contemplate them.
Here’s an exception, with the acronym alone having the power to induce spiked pulse rates in legions of people across the country: IRS.
The flow of currency is what keeps gears of the economy greased. It also happens to be a means by which some criminal elements seek to remove origin traces of the ill-gotten gains. This is done by funneling the money into legitimate businesses and putting the dollars through layers of transactions that make them hard to track. Eventually the money is recombined and it's difficult to know what are legal profits and what are not.
The vast majority of people in Texas and the rest of the country don't engage in these kinds of activities. They know it is against the law. However, it is possible for small business owners to unwittingly become caught up in such schemes. Indeed, they might become aware of it only when the authorities come knocking on the door.
Philip Hilder represents Mr. Posey, former Aide to Steve Stockman. Mr. Posey testified in the fraud trial for Stockman and was a key witness for the Government.
Those is the health care industry might sometimes reasonably feel as though there is a looming presence just behind them.
That would be federal regulators who are seemingly zeroed in on suspected fraud activities like never before.
As a medical provider, you want what's best for your patients. You never want to file claims for services they don't receive. Not only would it be unethical, but it's illegal. You believe that your patients should only pay for the services you provide. Sometimes, you're kind and don't even charge them for minor things, like a sudden, quick office appointment, especially if they're hurting for money. You're an upstanding medical professional.
Despite the fact that you wouldn't knowingly file a fraudulent claim, you've been accused of doing so. Several patients have claimed you charged them for services you didn't actually provide. You don't know how it happened, but you believe there's an error in the books somewhere due to a computer malfunction or a new hire's mistakes.
The term "cryptocurrency" is certainly something that didn't appear in any dictionary a few short years ago.
These days, though, cryptocurrency -- think especially bitcoin -- dominates news headlines. Recently, of course, the frenzy surrounding bitcoin's storied price rise prominently played out in media outlets globally. As a Bloomberg article notes, the perceived value of the alternative-to-cash product "skyrocketed in 2017."
A recent in-depth Forbes analysis scrutinizes white collar criminal activity. It specifically looks at the many underlying reasons that individuals indulge in it, risking draconian penalties if caught.
An initial point noted in the article concerning alleged white collar schemes is that there "always is a newer and bigger one getting exposed."
Talk about a black hole.
The federal Travel Act might sound innocuous on its face, but the statutory enactment passed back in 1961 carries real bite for prosecutors invoking it in criminal law cases. Its catch-all language can be easily applied to levy punitive sanctions across a wide universe of conduct.
The 2010 Dodd-Frank legislation that materially revamped securities law -- especially whistleblowers' role in reporting it and sharing in recoveries -- has always been a lightning rod for contention and debate. As we noted in our February 26 blog entry, the legislation "continues to incite passions and commentary even today."
How wide is the law's application? Who can be officially deemed as a Dodd-Frank whistleblower? What can a whistleblower do if retaliated against by an irate employer? Are Dodd-Frank protections in such an event adequate against blowback? How much can an individual recover if the government picks up a case and secures a money judgment?
More offenses addressed, more protections extended, a greater potential for enhanced recoveries, and more.
Those above descriptors only partially spotlight the matters that are front-and-central in updated securities law passed by the U.S. Congress back in 2010.
If you or your company is under investigation, charged or indicted for federal or state crimes, or you want to ensure future compliance, contact Hilder & Associates, P.C., for more information or to schedule an appointment with an experienced Houston white collar criminal defense lawyer.
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