WHAT IS FRAUD IN CALIFORNIA?
In California, fraud is a crime and multiple laws in the state qualify it as such. Depending on the circumstances of the crime, fraud is charged as a felony or a misdemeanor in California. Per California Penal Code 484, every person who shall feloniously steal, take, carry, lead, or drive away the personal property of another, or who shall fraudulently appropriate property which has been entrusted to him or her, or who shall knowingly and designedly, by any false or fraudulent representation or pretense, defraud any other person of money, labor or real or personal property, or who causes or procures others to report falsely of his or her wealth or mercantile character and by thus imposing upon any person, obtains credit and thereby fraudulently gets or obtains possession of money, or property or obtains the labor or service of another, is guilty of theft.
Additionally, per California Penal Code 532, every person who knowingly and designedly, by any false or fraudulent representation or pretense, defrauds any other person of money, labor, or property, whether real or personal, or who causes or procures others to report falsely of his or her wealth or mercantile character, and by thus imposing upon any person obtains credit, and thereby fraudulently gets possession of money or property, or obtains the labor or service of another, is punishable in the same manner and to the same extent as for larceny of the money or property so obtained.
Per California Penal Code 470, every person who, with the intent to defraud, knowing that he or she has no authority to do so, signs the name of another person or of a fictitious person to any of the items listed in this code is guilty of forgery. Also, every person who, with the intent to defraud, counterfeits or forges the seal or handwriting of another is guilty of forgery. Additionally, every person who, with the intent to defraud, alters, corrupts, or falsifies any record of any will, codicil, conveyance, or other instrument, the record of which is by law evidence, or any record of any judgment of a court or the return of any officer to any process of any court, is guilty of forgery.
In addition to the laws above, California Penal Code also addresses several other types of fraud including insurance fraud, welfare fraud, embezzlement, state tax fraud, check fraud, credit card fraud, Identity fraud, loan fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, accounting fraud, real estate fraud, mortgage fraud, money laundering, bank fraud, cyber fraud, perjury, and bribery.
Fraud defense cases require attention to detail and a dedicated staff prepared to put in long hours and do the hard work. Fraud cases can be complicated, and typically involve tens of thousands of documents. These types of cases require attention to detail and a dedicated staff prepared to put in long hours and do the hard work. In order to navigate these complicated matters, a criminal defense attorney needs the kind of experience that Attorney Timothy Riley has. For over 31 years, Mr. Riley has been defending clients who are accused of theft, fraud and white-collar offenses. He has a proven track record of successfully defending clients.
