Criminal Defense Lawyer For Craigslist Crimes

Craigslist and similar websites where strangers interact and strike deals with each other are ripe ground for criminal activity. Craigslist itself may seem to be simply a neutral conduit of online exchanges between people. However, this online resource is named again and again as a key piece of the puzzle after certain serious crimes occur.

Recent crimes in Florida and elsewhere, facilitated by Craigslist-triggered encounters between people, have included:

• A South Florida man who had bought gold from many people through advertisements that he posted on Craigslist was beaten and robbed by someone who answered one of his ads.
• A Marine, also in South Florida, was shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen when he tried to sell a gold chain to someone who had placed an ad on Craigslist.
• A young woman was killed — stabbed 89 times — by a man she had met through a personals ad on Craigslist.
• A former seventh-grade teacher pleaded guilty to soliciting a child for sex through Craigslist. (The “14-year-old boy” he thought he was going to meet turned out to be an undercover police officer.)
• A 35-year-old man in Clearwater was arrested for soliciting sex from a girl via Craigslist. (The “14-year-old girl” he was interacting with, after connecting via an ad on Craigslist, turned out to be an undercover police officer.)
• Twenty-eight women were arrested after allegedly advertising sexual services for pay on Craigslist.
• A single mother who had borrowed money to buy her daughter a car as a graduation present was swindled by a “car seller” who advertised on Craigslist and then persuaded the woman to send payment by way of Western Union to an “agent” in Spain. She lost all the money and no car was delivered to her.
• Two women stole hundreds of identities nationwide through a Craigslist scam and used them to file fraudulent tax returns seeking more than $500,000 in refunds and opened credit cards and other loans worth more than $75,000.
• In an extensive cyberspace sexual predators’ sting in the Tallahassee area, law enforcement agents posted fictitious ads on websites such as Craigslist, offering respondents the opportunity to solicit “children” for sex and/or engage in sexual discussions that included pornographic photos sent from the respondents to the “children.” Many people who took the bait were arrested.

The list of Craigslist-related crimes grows longer with the passage of time. You may have arrived at this website seeking defense after being accused of a crime facilitated by Craigslist. Whether you have been charged with a sex crime, a financial scam or an assault crime, if interactions on the Internet were involved, your criminal case may require detailed computer forensics work.

Criminal Defense Law Firm Representing People Charged With Craigslist-Related Crimes

To provide you with the strongest possible defense, your attorney should have a great deal of experience handling complex, high-stakes cases. Contact Mark J. O’Brien, a staunch advocate for people who have been charged with financial crimes and other serious offenses, such as soliciting minors for sex through the Internet. We have offices in Tampa and Orlando to better serve clients across Florida.

A former prosecutor who has handled thousands of criminal cases, Mark J. O’Brien was honored in 2012 as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyers in Florida by The National Trial Lawyers. Only 40 lawyers under the age of 40 in Florida receive this distinction. He is available to review your case and advise you on the best strategies for your defense.

Mark J. O’Brien, Can Defend Your Constitutional Rights

Our Florida child pornography lawyers in Tampa employ numerous strategies in cases involving allegations of crimes facilitated by Craigslist ads and other online forums. As a former prosecutor, attorney O’Brien understands how to work with the prosecution for the sake of protecting his clients’ rights.

Florida Craigslist-Related Crimes Lawyers

For a free initial consultation, please call 813-440-2347 or contact us online. Our results for many clients facing state and federal charges speak for themselves.