Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

The federal fraud charges in Los Angeles against a Beverly Hills salon owner have made news because celebrities were the alleged victims of the theft.

But these are not uncommon cases. The electronic age has exponentially increased the risk of credit card theft. The ease of obtaining personal credit card information for fraudulent purposes can also leave a defendant, particularly a business owner, wrongfully accused. Hiring an experienced federal criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles is the first step to defending your rights. These cases are different than theft charges prosecuted in state court. Charged under federal law, these cases often result in significant prison sentences without an aggressive and comprehensive defense.

The owner of the salon is charged with using the credit car information of Anne Hathaway, Liv Tyler and Jennifer Aniston to run up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges. Cher and Melanie Griffith may also have been victimized. The owner is accused of stealing $214,000 from Tyler alone over a five-month period, according to court documents.

The 51-year-old salon owner is accused of making at least $280,000 in fraudulent charges over a one-year period, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. She allegedly ran up additional unauthorized charges after receiving their credit card information for legitimate salon services, ABC News reported.

The owner faces two counts of fraud and up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

CBS News reports that the owner has declared her innocence via Facebook.

The owner was taken into custody by the U.S. Secret Service without incident.

Jewelry designer Loree Rodkin was also reportedly victimized. Her attorney reports that $68,000 was charged to her credit card without her permission. The owner of the salon allegedly offered to give Rodkin $25,000 worth of product in an attempt to smooth things over. That offer was declined.

Continue reading "Federal fraud charges in Los Angeles allege salon owner victimized celebrity clients" »

Sportswriter and ESPN commentator Jay Mariotti was arrested over the weekend after what is being described as a "domestic incident" with his girlfriend, CBS News reported.

In the past decade, the zero-tolerance policy of law enforcement toward domestic violence, which grew out of the O.J. Simpson fiasco, has made it imperative to seek an aggressive defense lawyer when facing a Los Angeles domestic violence charge.

Each year, law enforcement receives more than 150,000 domestic violence complaints and makes nearly 50,000 arrests. Seeking a qualified L.A. domestic violence defense attorney is an important step to protecting your reputation. In many cases, job loss can result from a domestic violence conviction and restrictions on firearm's ownership and other fallout can have a drastic impact on your ability to work in certain professions, particularly law enforcement or the military.

Domestic violence allegations also often impact family law cases, such as divorce and child custody, making it ripe for abuse by vindictive spouses or former partners.

In this case, the Los Angeles Police Department reports the 51-year-old Mariotti was released from jail on $50,000 bond after being booked on an undisclosed felony charge. The Los Angeles Times reported he exchanged harsh words with his girlfriend at a Santa Monica club. The pair left the club but the argument apparently continued at their Venice apartment.

She was reportedly suffering from cuts and bruises when police arrived.

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A 22-year-old man is facing bank robbery charges in Los Angeles, after being accused of robbing a pair of banks in Ventura in May and June, the Ventura County Star reported.

Bank robbery charges are very serious and should always be handled by a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer experienced in handling federal charges. All bank robberies fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government, are investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and are prosecuted in federal court.

In this case, the defendant faces charges in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles accusing him of the May 17 robbery of First Bank & Trust and the June 28 robbery of U.S. Bank. The robberies were blamed on a suspect dubbed the "Futbol Bandit" because the robber wore a soccer sweatshirt during one of the holdups.

The suspect reportedly gave the teller a note that read "Give me all your money or I'll shoot you." He was wearing a shirt with the "Barca" logo on the soccer club in Barcelona Spain.

He is being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles after the investigation by the FBI and Ventura police.

Continue reading "Bank robbery charges in Los Angeles allege "Futbol Bandit" responsible for pair of bank heists in Ventura" »

Two suspects are facing robbery charges in Los Angeles after authorities allege they attempted to rob an Azusa shooting range, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported.

This is one of those times where there is almost certainly more to the story than what is being reported by authorities or the media. A defendant would be best served by remaining silent and consulting with an experienced Los Angeles defense lawyer. Robbery is a serious charge that carries a possible prison sentence. It is more serious than theft or burglary because it alleges you confronted another person and took property by force or fear. The presence of a firearm will also increase the possible penalties.

In this case the defendants -- a 27-year-old suspect from Arcadia and a 23-year-old defendant from Los Angeles -- have been charged with commercial burglary and assault with a deadly weapon.

The incident began about 6:30 a.m. when authorities say a man and a woman stole gun accessories from an Azusa shooting park, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office.

An employee preparing to open the range approached the couple but backed off when he noticed they had a gun (It's a shooting range, after all).

One of the suspects allegedly fired three or four shots at a second employee, who pursued their vehicle and alerted authorities. They got about 10 miles form the scene of the crime when a deputy attempted to pull them over. The ensuring chase lasted for about 40 minutes and ended in West Covina.

The eastbound 10 Freeway was shut down for about 30 minutes.

Continue reading "Alleged holdup at gun range prompts police chase - ends with suspects facing robbery charges in Los Angeles" »

Four people have been arrested on prostitution charges in the Los Angeles area after authorities allege women were being recruited from China to work in brothels, the L.A. Times reported.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the arrested follow a nine-month investigation. The alleged brothels were operating out of condominiums in Monterey Park and San Gabriel and relied on word-of-mouth and personal referrals to lure customers for sex.

The defendants are accused of immigration fraud, including using fake documents and false marriages to recruit women. Some of the women had valid student visas. The four suspects arrested are facing numerous charges, including conspiracy to import and harbor aliens for prostitution, conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and pimping and pandering.

"Illegal ventures like this degrade the quality of life in our neighborhoods as well as the women involved," said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of ICE's office of Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles. "ICE will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to attack and dismantle these kinds of enterprises that prey on the vulnerable and often bring other criminal activity into the area."

Those facing conspiracy charges should always consult with an experienced federal defense lawyer in Los Angeles. Conspiracy charges carry the same penalty as the underlying crime but are much easier to prove, making them a favorite of federal prosecutors. Additionally, being convicted of a crime while in the United States on a visa will result in deportation.

Continue reading "Los Angeles prostitution charges require federal defense lawyer to challenge visa fraud allegations" »

Hundreds of law enforcement officers arrested 43 suspected gang members across the Antelope Valley this week as part of a crackdown on weapons and cocaine trafficking, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Los Angeles defense lawyers familiar with gang crimes, juvenile crimes and drug charges should represent these defendants.

Enhanced penalties are possible for many California crimes that are charged as gang crimes -- and often the state's attorney must do little more than prove association with a known or suspected gang member. A juvenile criminal record, particularly as a gang member, can have far-reaching consequences. In some cases, a juvenile may be charged as an adult. Charges may also count as a strike in adulthood. Strike charges can significantly increase the sentence for many types of crime and a third conviction can result in a life sentence.

The 43 suspects are allegedly members of a Pasadena-based street gang that includes branches in Antelope Valley, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department reported. The investigation was launched last year after an alleged gang member shot and wounded a sheriff's deputy.

Warrants were served at 80 locations and some of those arrested were named in federal indictments issued Wednesday.

Defendants arrested in these types of large-scale raids should always exercise their rights to remain silent and should immediately seek the representation of an experienced defense lawyer. Often, cases resulting from such large raids are not very strong and law enforcement will use the arrests as a chance to get defendants to talk. Without the assistance of an experienced attorney, your statements to authorities may very well be some of the best evidence used against you in court.

Sometimes, those who have been through the system numerous times on drug charges will fail to understand the significance of federal drug charges. These charges always require an experienced Los Angeles federal defense lawyer. Those facing federal drug charge have a high-probability of spending significant time in prison if convicted.

Continue reading "Los Angeles gang crimes require aggressive defense of juveniles and other defendants after Los Angeles raid" »

Three-and-a-half years after the death of Anna Nicole Smith, two doctors are facing trial in Los Angeles Superior Court on charges of conspiracy to furnish drugs to an addict, according to the Beverly Hills Courier.

It is particularly critical for medical professionals facing California drug charges to hire a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer experienced in handling white-collar crime and other criminal allegations against working professionals. The consequences in such cases go far beyond jail time, and frequently include professional and personal liability, the loss of professional licensing and the inability to continue to work as a doctor or other professional.

In this case, as in the case of Michael Jackson, the alleged victim is no longer alive to testify or to question and authorities will rely heavily upon medical records and other paperwork. The six-man, six-woman jury has been sworn in after the questioning of about 120 prospective jurors in Los Angeles Superior Court. The charges accuse Smith's former companion, Howard K. Stern, and two doctors, of providing controlled substances to an addict from June 2004 until Smith's death on Feb. 8, 2007. The 39-year-old actress died of a prescription drug overdose in a Florida hotel room.

Stern, 41, is charged with 11 felonies, including prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict, obtaining a prescription for opiates by deceit, fraud or misrepresentation and conspiracy to commit a crime.

The doctors are each charged with six felony counts, including unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance, prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Continue reading "Cases of Anna Nicole Smith & Michael Jackson are high-profile examples of Los Angeles doctors facing drug charges " »

A former sheriff's deputy has pleaded no contest to charges accusing him of attempting to smuggle drugs into the North County Correctional Facility, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.

Los Angeles drug charges in connection with attempting to bring drugs into a California detention facility are quite common. Such charges often carry increased penalties and should always be handled by an aggressive and experienced L.A. defense lawyer.

The 27-year-old defendant, who worked as a sheriff's deputy for two years, pleaded no contest on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court to the charge of possession for sale of a controlled substance.

While authorities say it is uncommon for a law enforcement officer to be caught attempting to bring drugs into a detention facility, it is not at all uncommon for civilians, visitors or other employees to be charged with attempting to smuggle contraband, usually drugs, into a jail or prison.

In this case, the man was arrested in October 2008 after he was caught trying to bring 161.5 grams of heroin, 24.5 grams of meth and 51.5 grams of marijuana into the North County Correctional Facility, one of four facilities at the Pitchess Detention Center. Two others defendants were sentenced in connection with the same case, including a 28-year-old inmate who had arranged to have the drugs delivered.

A Captain said efforts are ongoing to prevent drugs from ending up behind bars.

"Drugs coming into the center happens sometimes with visitors coming through the visitors center," she said. "We have the narco dog going through the visitor's center. We do that periodically, and every now and then you can catch people off guard. They arrive thinking it's their lucky day and then, it's not."

The four facilities at Pitchess make up Los Angeles County's largest jail complex.

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