Seven months after a state and federal law enforcement dragnet resulted in the arrests of 57 Floridians on racketeering charges, only 17 defendants remain. In March, employees of charitable gambling cafés run by Allied Veterans of the World were hauled in from...
Tampa Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer
White Collar Offenses
No bail for Bolivian anti-corruption official accused of extortion
A peculiar international fracas between the United States, Bolivia, and two men who have now been forcibly expatriated from Bolivia is taking place in the federal courts here in Florida. In 2011, a Bolivian businessman who owns the majority of Aerosur Airlines, filed...
Are banks laundering money if they serve legal marijuana dealers?
When states across the U.S. began legalizing marijuana for medical or even recreational use, their laws came into direct conflict with federal drug laws. When Attorney General Eric Holder announced recently that the federal government would no longer prosecute...
2 Florida mayors, 2 lobbyists accused of extortion in FBI sting
Is public corruption rampant in Florida's small towns? The FBI seems to think so, considering that it has been investigating Florida mayors and lobbyists for two years after receiving a single, confidential tip. This week, that FBI sting operation resulted in two...
The growing use of wiretaps in white collar investigations
Between the years 2000 and 2010 the number of wiretap warrants issued in the United States increased by nearly 200 percent. Since then, wiretaps have been used more and more often as part of white collar crime investigations. In 1968 Congress passed the Omnibus Crime...
Prosecutors may be more likely to go after small banks
In 2007 and 2008, the financial crisis rocked the American economy, setting off a tidal wave with effects that are still being felt today. Despite widespread acknowledgment that the leaders of America's large banks acted inappropriately - and illegally - before the...
Florida Internet cafés subjected to state and federal raid
Florida's lieutenant governor resigned yesterday in connection with a state and federal raid on a charity for which she once consulted. The charity, which runs charitable gambling through Internet cafés, is accused of giving only 2 percent of its proceeds to...
Florida business owner faces federal fraud charges
Last Friday the FBI announced criminal charges have been filed against a Florida businessman. The man has been accused of running a $40 million scheme involving a company that supposedly manufactured composite panels used to build homes in developing countries.His...
White Collar Criminal Code Nuance Is Truly Tricky
In Florida, officials claim that individuals have become creative with the various illegal behaviors that they are engaging in for personal gain. This creativity may be evidence of smart individuals purposefully engaging in criminal activity, or it may be evidence of...
The Consequences of White Collar Crime
Law enforcement officials in Florida recently began a crackdown on white collar crimes including financial and investment scams. Since taking office in 2010, the current Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida has led the effort to combat white...