A 28-year-old Anaheim woman was recently arrested on suspicion of stealing an Irvine woman’s credit card and using it to buy designer handbags. According to a news report in The Daily Pilot, the woman has been booked on suspicion of identity theft and grand theft, as well as unauthorized use of a credit card. Police arrested her when they found her waiting outside an Irvine woman’s home, allegedly waiting to receive an item she had illegally ordered online. Officials say the victim only found out about the credit card fraud when her credit card company called and informed her that a purchase for a $2,700 Louis Vuitton bag was rejected. Officials believe the woman had stolen credit cards from others and used them to purchase designer handbags and shoes.
According to California Penal Code Section 530 (d), “Every person who, with the intent to defraud, acquires, transfers, or retains possession of the personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b), of another person is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefore, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.” The charges and penalties may increase depending on the number of alleged victims and the value of the items purchased fraudulently using someone else’s identity.
Investigating identity theft crimes can be complex and involve multiple parties. If you or a loved one has been accused of fraud, identity theft, computer fraud, or credit card theft, the experienced Irvine identity theft defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman may be able to help you. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 to discuss your case at absolutely no cost.
The Buena Park Police Department will hold a DUI checkpoint on Super Bowl Sunday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday at 6640 Beach Blvd. right in front of City Hall. According to OC Weekly, other law enforcement agencies in Orange County are also planning to step up DUI enforcement for the big weekend with saturation patrols and special task forces. Almost all of these operations are funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has launched a national campaign to curb drunk driving on Super Bowl Sunday.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has issued a number of tips to help football fans have a safe holiday. First, if you plan on drinking, designate your sober driver before the party begins. Leave your car keys at home if you plan to drink. Add numbers for local cab companies to your cell phone, so they are readily available to you. Pace yourself and avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast.
Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is illegal under California law. DUI charges could become elevated if the incident involves injuries or fatalities. The consequences of a DUI conviction are severe in Orange County. Penalties include possible jail time, fines, court fees, going through a mandatory alcohol rehabilitation program, and the installation of an ignition interlock device. Those convicted of a DUI will also be looking at insurance rate hikes.
The best way to avoid a DUI this Super Bowl weekend is to not drink and drive. However, the increase in saturation patrols and checkpoints also increase the chances of wrongful arrests. If you have been charged with a DUI in Orange County, the skilled Orange County drunk driving defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman can help protect your rights. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a free, comprehensive, and confidential consultation.
White-collar crimes often involve a person in power committing a crime within his or her occupation. Individuals who use their positions of power or prestige to commit crimes can face serious legal consequences. Examples of Orange County white-collar crimes include fraud, insider trading, bribery, computer crimes, money laundering, identity theft, embezzlement, and forgery. Anyone facing these types of charges would be well advised to have a skilled criminal defense attorney present when discussing their case with the authorities.
Fighting white-collar crime charges has become more complex in recent years with advances in technology. There are more opportunities for crimes such as fraud and identity theft and a greater likelihood for the authorities to track down the wrong suspect. It is important to vigorously fight these charges because they often have serious and adverse effects on an individual’s career and future. Prospective employers are less likely to hire someone who has a record of embezzlement, fraud, or insider trading.
Potential defenses against white-collar charges include insanity, incapacity, duress, entrapment, and intoxication. An insanity defense is when a defendant claims that he or she was not responsible for the criminal act because of mental health issues. An incapacity defense means that the defendant was not capable of committing the crime. Duress means that someone forced the defendant to commit the act. Intoxication means that the act was committed while under the influence of alcohol. A skilled criminal defense attorney can assess a crime and help a defendant build the defense that protects his or her best interests.
If you or a loved one faces white-collar charges in Orange County, please contact the Irvine white collar crime defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman at (800) 349-1619 for a free, comprehensive, and confidential consultation. We will fight to protect your rights and your reputation.
Forgery is the act of falsifying, changing, counterfeiting, or creating legal documents, statements, credit cards, or identification cards with the intention to commit fraud. Common examples of forgery include duplicating someone else’s signature, making counterfeit credit cards or falsifying real estate or tax documents. California Penal Code Section 470 (a) states: “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 subdivision (d) is guilty of forgery.” Depending on the nature and extent of the alleged fraud, a forgery conviction can result in prison time, hefty fines, and other serious consequences.
A skilled and experienced lawyer can devise several defense strategies that can help dismiss or reduce the charges you face. One of the most important elements needed to prove that a person committed forgery is to prove that he or she had the intent to commit fraud crime. For example, when a husband signs his wife’s name on a check and the money was used for the family’s expenses, it is proof that the man did not intend to commit fraud. Also, in that case, there was no “victim” since the money was used for family expenses.
Also, when the forged or allegedly fraudulent document is invalid and cannot be used to commit a fraud, a forgery conviction cannot be obtained. In such cases, the defense attorney will have to show that although the document was forged, it does not have the power or capacity to defraud someone of money, property, or rights.
If you or a loved one has been charged with forgery in Orange County, please contact an Orange County forgery defense lawyer at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman at (800) 349-1619 to start preparing your defense strategy. We understand the high stakes in these types of cases and the fact that your reputation and credibility are riding on the outcome. Please call us today to find out how we can help you.
A 24-year-old Santa Ana man is the second of eight defendants to face charges for the murder of a 16-year-old boy that occurred on January 10. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the man faces life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury deliberated for two hours and convicted him of first-degree murder, active participation in a criminal street gang, and committing the crime for the gang’s benefit. Officials say he was one of two triggermen who fired into a group of people, but that he was not the actual killer. One of the eight defendants involved in this gang-related murder has pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder.
California laws are extremely tough when it comes to street gangs. There are many laws in California to combat gang-related activities. Sentencing enhancements for gang affiliation can significantly increase the penalties a defendant faces in Southern California violent crime cases.
For example, California Statute 186.22(b) states that any person “who is convicted of a felony committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang, with the specific intent to promote, further, or assist in any criminal conduct by gang members, shall, upon conviction of that felony, in addition and consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony or attempted felony of which he or she has been convicted, be punished with an additional term of two, three or four years at the court’s discretion.” If the felony was violent, there is the potential for an additional 10-year term.
The stakes are extremely high for defendants who are facing violent crime charges with gang enhancements. An Orange County gang crime defense attorney at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman can defend you against harsh penalties and enhancements for such crimes. If you or a loved one is facing such charges, call us today at (800) 349-1619 for a no-cost consultation.
A 19-year-old woman was arrested in Irvine after officials say she sold medical marijuana to a minor. According to a news report in The Daily Pilot, police say they came to know about the woman when a concerned parent notified them that she was selling marijuana to high school students. Detectives set up surveillance. Reportedly, police watched her pick up the marijuana at a Costa Mesa dispensary and sold the drugs to two adult men and then a 16-year-old high school student.
The woman was arrested at the gas station where she allegedly made the transaction with the student. The boy was cited and released to his parents. The woman is facing charges of transportation and sales of marijuana in addition to one count of selling marijuana to a minor.
Marijuana laws are extremely complex, not only in Orange County, but in all of California. While Proposition 216 was passed by the state’s voters and made legal the sale and purchase of marijuana for medical uses, it is still against federal law to possess or use marijuana. Possession of marijuana for personal use may not be a serious charge. However, other marijuana charges such as cultivation, transportation, and drug sales, specifically to a minor, can result in more serious charges.
Marijuana charges can result in grave consequences including jail time, probation, drug rehabilitation, and hefty fines. If you are facing similar charges, the experienced drug crime defense attorneys in Irvine at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman can aggressively defend those charges and protect your rights. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a free, comprehensive, and confidential consultation.
The president of one of the largest rehab home operators in Newport Beach has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, The Orange County Register reports. The man was arrested by Newport Beach police officers on Dec. 4 after an incident, which police described as a “physical altercation.” Officials say the incident involved alcohol and that a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury was dismissed. The man has been sentenced to three years of probation and has been ordered to pay restitution. It is not clear how much, if any, jail time he was sentenced to serve.
The legal proceedings for cases of violent crime, such as domestic violence, can be rather complicated. It is devastating for anyone to be accused of abusing someone he or she loves. In such cases, it is common for misrepresentation and misunderstanding to occur and you may find yourself in a situation where you are arrested for a crime you did not commit. In addition to criminal charges and penalties, defendants also face the stigma that comes with such accusations.
If you or a loved one has been accused of domestic violence or domestic abuse in Orange County, it would be in your best interest to contact an experienced attorney. The stakes are extremely high in these cases because, in addition to criminal consequences, you may also face other issues such as child custody. Defendants will also usually face a restraining order that requires them to stay away from their families or their loved ones. Please contact the Newport Beach domestic violence lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman at (800) 349-1619 for a free, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We are here to help you.
Five people were arrested and police confiscated more than $200,000 worth of marijuana after a month-long investigation in Orange County. According to a news report in The Daily Pilot, a 46-year-old San Clemente man was arrested in Newport Beach after he was found with 24 pounds of “high-grade” marijuana. On the same day, Newport police found a complex growing operation inside a home in Laguna Niguel from which they seized 300 marijuana plants, four pounds of the drug, and cash. A 24-year-old Laguna Niguel man was arrested at the home. Similar arrests were also made in Lake Forest and Huntington Beach. All of the suspects face possession of marijuana, illegal cultivation, and sale charges.
Drug crimes can be charged as misdemeanors or felonies. In marijuana cases, possession for personal use will usually be charged as a misdemeanor. But when large-scale operations are discovered or large quantities of drugs are confiscated, there is the issue of “intent to sell” the drugs. In cases where large quantities of drugs are involved, felony charges are likely for drug trafficking in California.
Under California law, marijuana can be used for medical purposes with a doctor’s prescription. However, a dichotomy between state law, which allows use of marijuana for medical purposes, and federal law, which lists marijuana as a controlled substance, has made enforcement of these laws challenging in California.
If you or a loved one has been arrested on suspicion of possession or possession for sale charges, please contact the experienced Orange County drug crime defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman. Please call us today at (800) 349-1619 to find out how we can help you defend these serious drug crime charges.
Huntington Beach police have arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of a 21-year-old woman whose body was found in an RV. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, police received reports of a body in an RV parked on a driveway in the 8300 block of Danbury Circle in Huntington Beach. Police say the defendant lived in the RV, which was parked at his parents’ home. Officials have not released any further details regarding the motive for the alleged murder or the manner of death. They have also not said what the defendant’s relationship was with the deceased woman. The man is being held without bail at this time.
According to California Penal Code Section 187, “Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought.” A homicide refers to the killing of another person and includes murder and manslaughter, as well. “Murder” refers to the most aggravated type of killing. Murder is different from manslaughter in the sense that “malice” is a necessary component in a murder case. A person is said to have acted with malice when he or she “with wanton disregard for human life, does an act that involves a high degree of probability that it will result in death.”
Depending on the circumstances of the case, a person convicted of first-degree murder could receive the death penalty or life in prison with or without the possibility of parole. Obviously, the stakes are extremely high in murder cases. Defendants need the representation of a criminal defense lawyer who has extensive experience and a successful track record of getting acquittals in homicide cases.
Orange County homicide defense lawyer Jeremy Goldman has practiced criminal defense for 11 years, first as a public defender. He has tremendous experience with jury trials. He has an excellent track record of settling high profile homicide cases and obtaining “not guilty” verdicts in murder and attempted murder cases in Orange County. If you or a loved one is facing murder charges in Orange County, please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a free, comprehensive and confidential consultation.
Two boys, ages 16 and 17, have been arrested on suspicion of beating up a convenience store clerk and a good Samaritan who came to the clerk’s aid during a beer robbery at a Circle K store in Garden Grove. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the teens were arrested after police released a video of the robbery and the beating, bringing media attention to the incident. The surveillance video showed two males repeatedly hitting the clerk after he asked them about their age as they tried to buy an 18-pack of beer. The teens were taken to Orange County Juvenile Hall where they were booked on suspicion of robbery. The clerk did not suffer serious injuries, officials say.
Robbery and assault are both serious crimes that can have serious consequences. Robbery is considered a “violent crime” even if there are no injuries or the incident involves minor injuries, because there is always the threat of violence. According to California Penal Code Section 211, “Robbery is the felonious taking of personal property in the possession of another, from his person or immediate presence, and against his will, accomplished by means of force or fear.”
Juvenile crimes may be handled in juvenile or adult court depending on the age of the victim and the seriousness of the crime. Violent crime in Orange County involving teens close to 18 years of age often tend to be handled in adult court, which means the punishment can be more severe. This is why it is critical for parents to contact an experienced Orange County juvenile crime defense lawyer who has experience handling violent crime cases involving young people. A skilled criminal defense lawyer will be able to keep the case in juvenile court, which will not only help reduce the penalties, but also keep it away from the media.
The experienced Garden Grove juvenile crime defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman have a long and successful track record of defending juveniles accused of violent crimes. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 to find out how we can help your child.
