Karren Kenney is a seasoned fraud defense attorney and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), who has been defending clients in a wide range of criminal fraud matters for more over 25 years. A former senior public defender, Ms. Kenney has dedicated her career to representing people charged with crimes. She spent five years working specifically on cases involving aggravated white-collar crimes, like wire fraud, mail fraud, embezzlement, investment fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, and has tried more than 100 criminal cases.
What is Fraud?
The term “fraud” is often used generally to refer to a wide variety of behaviour. It includes just about any intentionally deceitful action that gives an unfair advantage to the person accused or otherwise harms another person or entity. A person may be prosecuted for fraud under state law or federal law. Common types of fraud prosecuted in California include:
- Identity theft
- Misrepresentation
- Forgery
- Interference
- Mail fraud
- Wire Fraud
- Investment Fraud
- Bank Fraud
- Mortgage Fraud
Some of these and other fraud offenses are automatic felonies, while others may be charged as a felony or misdemeanor. The potential penalties vary based on the nature of the offense, but can often be quite harsh, especially if there are any enhancements alleged. Life-changing punishments like imprisonment and being ordered to pay steep financial restitution regularly hang in the balance in these cases. As a result, it's important to seek the counsel and advice of an experienced, competent criminal defense lawyer in the event that you're charged with fraud or other white collar offenses. A fraud defense lawyer can help with any and all of these situations.
Defenses to Fraud Charges
The good news for criminal defendants in fraud cases is that California and federal laws afford them a number of viable defenses. Chief among them is the “no intent” defense. The law requires prosecutors to prove that a person charged with fraud actually intended to deceive another person or business. If they can't – if the damage to the victim was caused by a mistake of fact or misunderstanding, for example – the charges must be dropped, the case dismissed, or the defense is presented to a jury to decide. In addition, a person accused of fraud may argue that he or she was mistakenly identified as the perpetrator by a witness or that he or she was entrapped by a law enforcement officer who lured the person into committing the crime. As with other crimes, the prosecutors must prove each element of fraud beyond a reasonable doubt – a very high burden.
Why You Should Hire a Fraud Defense Lawyer
Attorney Karren Kenney is an accomplished white-collar criminal defense lawyer and has been certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and a Certified Fraud Specialist (CFS) by the Association of Certified Fraud Specialists. Ms. Kenney takes an aggressive approach to defending clients, considering any and all opportunities to get charges dropped or reduced. She investigates and prepares cases thoroughly and has a proven track record of optimizing results my negotiating with prosecutors and presenting a comprehensive defense to judges and juries.
Among other previous victories, Ms. Kenney obtained a not guilty jury verdict for a client charged with computer fraud, grand theft and filing false deeds and a hung jury for another client charged with securities fraud, grand theft and forgery based on an alleged investment scam. The latter case, a two-month trial, included extensive cross-examination of all 11 of the supposed victims of the alleged fraud.
If you or a loved one has been charged with fraud in California, contact Orange County fraud defense lawyer Karren Kenney. From our offices in Costa Mesa in San Diego, we serve clients throughout Southern California. Call (855) 505-5588 or contact us online for a free consultation.