Month: August 2023

An accusation of racketeering is a serious one, so it should not surprise you that the penalties for this crime can be quite severe here in New Jersey. If you are accused of racketeering, you should not waste any time. Talk to a Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer and get ready to figure out a way to defend yourself. When Can You Be Targeted With Racketeering? The state charges people with racketeering when they can identify a pattern of criminal behavior and incidents over a period lasting as long as 10 years. The prosecution will argue that these crimes and events were not random. They were part of a larger project involving a criminal enterprise. Your actions were in service to this larger entity and you helped this group grow and hurt more people. What Kinds of Crimes Can Be Considered Racketeering? You can be charged with a variety of crimes when the state wants to go after you for racketeering. Some are financial, and some are more violent in nature. The important thing to the prosecution is that they can establish a pattern when they see you commit crimes like: Robbery Money laundering Credit card fraud Selling […]

You can claim that you were forced into committing a crime, but that does not mean that the prosecutor will take your defense seriously. You are still likely to face criminal charges even when someone else coerced or threatened you into committing a crime. You have to begin forming an affirmative defense and show that you never would have done what you did if you were not concerned about the safety of yourself or others. A Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer from our firm can help you do that. Should I Try to Bargain With the Police? You may think that you can simply tell the police that you were forced into committing a crime. They will believe you, right? Then they can just run right out and arrest the true perpetrator. Justice is served! Unfortunately, this is not how things tend to go. The police are not on your side. Giving them any information at all can just help them build a case against you. Instead of answering any questions or volunteering any information, you should ask for your attorney. Can I Claim Duress If I Was Forced Into Committing a Crime? When someone is forced into […]

Police interrogations can be scary experiences, but you have to remember that you have rights during these exchanges. You can take steps to protect yourself and make sure that your words are not used against you. One of the first steps you should take? Hiring a Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer who can answer your legal questions and give you advice on what to do next. Do I Really Have the Right to Remain Silent During Police Interrogations? Anyone who has watched a cop show or two has certainly heard the phrase “You have the right to remain silent.” before. Can you really just clam up during police interrogations though? Yes, you really can do that. You have the right to remain silent because you have the right to avoid making any kind of statement that causes you to incriminate yourself. This includes statements that seem innocuous on their surface but can actually be used against you by cops if they are trying to connect you to a crime. Here is an example. Let’s say that the cops ask where you are at a certain date and time. You have committed no crime, so you feel confident asking […]

Tax evasion is not a crime that is taken lightly. If you are accused of evading taxes, you can end up facing harsh penalties and felony charges. If you believe that these charges are in error or that you simply made a mistake, you need to be ready to fight back. Hiring an experienced Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense attorney should be your next step. What is Considered Tax Evasion? You can be accused of tax evasion by taking any action that results in you paying less of the taxes that you rightfully owe. A common method of doing this is underreporting income. If you make $100,000 but you tell the government that you made $60,000, that is going to be a problem. That is $40,000 worth of income that is not being taxed, and the IRS is going to find that out eventually and come after you with some considerable resources behind it. You could also be committing a crime if you lie about your deductions. If you claim too many that you should not, it is the same as lying about your taxable income. You are just doing it in a more roundabout way. Finally, failing to […]

If you get a grand jury subpoena, you need to respond to it. You also need to protect yourself though, and that means talking to a Bergen County, New Jersey criminal defense lawyer. An attorney from our firm can help you avoid mistakes that may get you into legal trouble. Does Getting a Grand Jury Subpoena Mean I Am Under Investigation? This is the main issue with a grand jury subpoena. We do not actually know if you are under investigation just because you have received one! A grand jury investigates crimes in secret, and that means that there is no way to know if you are the center of the investigation. You could be: A target of the investigation: The prosecutor believes that you are involved in criminal activity. You could be facing charges. A subject of the investigation: This means that the prosecutor believes that you are involved, but they do not know whether or not you have criminal liability. As the investigation goes on, their opinion might change. A witness in an investigation: The prosecutor may not think that you have committed a crime, but they believe that you have information that could assist them. Your status […]