Our criminal law covers the following
A. FRAUD CRIMES
Fraud Charges Can Disrupt Lives And Ruin Careers
Any transaction involving false, altered or hidden information that results in a financial loss may be considered fraud. In cases of statutory fraud, the accused does not have to be aware that they committed fraud to be found guilty. The penalties for fraud may include decades behind bars and fines reaching six figures. Simply being charged with fraud is often enough to derail a successful career. If you’ve been accused of fraud, it’s important to get legal representation as quickly as possible.

Common Forms Of Bank Fraud
Bank fraud is a blanket term for any action involving misrepresentation of fact that is intended to fraudulently acquire money, property or other assets from a financial institution. The list of charges that fall under the category of bank fraud is long, but some of the most common crimes include:

Forging or falsifying financial documents
Phishing operations or other internet fraud
Debit or credit card fraud
Stolen, forged or altered checks
Booster checks and check kiting
Fraud involving wire transfers, appraisals or accounting
A single count of bank fraud carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison and as much as $1 million in fines. With multiple counts of fraud, the judge has discretion to increase the sentencing.

Laundering Any Amount Of Money Is A Felony
If you knowingly use illegal funds in any way, whether investing it, spending it or simply accepting illegal money, you are guilty of money laundering. As the amount of the laundered funds increases, the penalties for the crime increase, but it is a felony offense regardless of the amount of money involved. Dollar amounts as small as $2,500 can result in a state felony.

Possessing or fraudulently using identifying information
Acquiring or transferring financial information without authorization
With the advances in technology and the expansion of the internet, identity theft has grown dramatically in the last 20 years. The devastating financial damage that can result, combined with public fear and other factors, has ushered in severe penalties for identity theft. Obtaining someone else’s financial information without their permission is a Class B misdemeanor. Providing someone else’s financial information to a third party is a Class A misdemeanor. Both levels of misdemeanor mean jail time and fines of up to $4,000 on top of restitution to the identity theft victim.

Prescription Fraud Charges
For people in the medical field, just the accusation of prescription fraud can damage a career. Prescription fraud in Texas is usually a felony with penalties of up to 20 years in prison or up to $10,000 in fines. We understand the importance of discretion when accusations of prescription fraud arise. Offenses that may result in charges of prescription fraud include:

Possession of illegally obtained prescription drugs
Doctor shopping to obtain prescription drugs
Creating fake prescriptions
Distributing prescription drugs without a license
Using the internet to illegally buy, sell or distribute prescription drugs is usually classified as either international or interstate trafficking. This type of trafficking is investigated by federal agencies, and a guilty verdict carries severe penalties even for first-time offenders.

Contact NZE CHAMBERS If you’re facing fraud charges, or filling out our online contact form.

All Medicare And Medicaid Fraud Charges Are Serious
If you were contacted by the state attorney general or the office of inspector general concerning Medicare or Medicaid fraud, you need to act right away. Even if it’s a groundless accusation based on false testimony by a disgruntled ex-employee or a competitor, a fraud charge can do irreparable damage to your reputation. Failure to respond can place you in legal jeopardy and result in the suspension of your Medicare or Medicaid number.

Common Medicare And Medicaid Fraud Accusations
Fraud charges sometimes result from billing patterns revealed in routine administrative audits. These patterns may mean nothing, but it opens the door to further audits and investigations, costing you time and money. Most fraud charges are related to one of the following accusations:

Billing for services that were not performed
Up coding, or submitting inaccurate billing codes to get higher reimbursements
Recommending or performing services that are unnecessary
Billing both a private insurer and Medicare or Medicaid for the same services
Accepting or inducing referrals by offering payments or anything of value
Individual doctors accused of Medicare or Medicaid fraud also face possible disciplinary actions. Penalties may include having privileges at hospitals revoked, excessive fines and criminal prosecution. The sooner you contact an attorney to protect your rights, the better your chances of avoiding additional charges and penalties.

B. DRUG CRIMES

Drug Law Cases
Regardless of your opinion of “marijuana prohibition,” the “war on drugs,” or drug laws in general, getting charged with possession or sale of illegal drugs is a serious event that may have lifelong consequences.

Drug law violations may be charged in many ways:

Conspiracy
Possession of marijuana and other controlled substances
Smuggling, sale and distribution
Manufacturing and cultivating
Prescription medicines
Designer drugs
Drug abuse and addiction
Most drug cases prosecuted today involve marijuana, cocaine, meth and methamphetamines, heroin, MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, Xanax, OxyContin, Valium, Rohypnol, steroids, hydrocodone (Vicodin), crack, “spice,” analogs to scheduled controlled substances, simulated drugs and drugs legal in other states.

In addition, we routinely represents professionals such as doctors, dentists, pharmacists, lawyers and other professionals before the state and federal regulatory agencies. We also work with psychiatrists, psychologists, addiction specialists and treatment programs to “cure” problems at the source, to protect licenses and to obtain dismissal of related criminal cases.

Crimes Involving Prescription Drug Medications
The abuse of prescription medication sometimes leads to criminal charges. We have had many clients who were prescribed medications, become addicted, and when their doctor discontinued the medication, they self-medicated through the use of online purchases, forged prescriptions, doctor shopping and other desperate efforts. Our clients have also included health care professionals who became addicted by abusing the very drugs they frequently prescribed.

When people are arrested, whether rich or poor, they are treated equally. Everyone is taken to jail and then held until released on bond. Pretrial release procedures take from several hours to several days. If you think you have a problem with prescription drugs, you should consider talking to a lawyer before you end up getting arrested.

Drug Crime Lawyers With A Record Of Success
Federal drug case indictments may be long and complicated, charging many defendants and many counts. We are a lifetime member of the National Legal Committee for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). He successfully represented two defendants in America’s largest single marijuana seizure, 110,000 pounds seized from a Colombian ship.

A decade ago, we represented a doctor in a five-week federal jury trial, disputing claims of Medicare fraud and his client was found not guilty of all charges.

We routinely help in smaller cases as well – a baggie, a pill, or even an empty container with possible residue – knowing that a conviction for drugs can have harsh and adverse consequences, such as loss of civil rights, driver’s license revocation, deportation – and, of course, imprisonment, fines and forfeiture of real estate, personal automobiles and other property.

C. CRIMES OF VIOLENCE

Murder, Homicide, Assaults And Prohibited Weapons
Violent crimes carry severe penalties. Many allegations begin with disputes among people that love each other, adding an emotionally charged element to the proceedings. Other cases involving the loss of life, or cases that result in serious bodily injury, were simply tragic accidents that are unintentional and unforeseeable.

It’s not unusual for a neighbor or other third party to “report something to the police,” and once an investigation starts there is no way for a civilian to simply “drop the charges.” There is nothing more complicated in criminal law than understanding how, so often, good people get charged with bad things, particularly so-called “assaults” involving members of a household.

There Is No Such Thing As Dropping The Charges
A common mistake that ordinary people have about “domestic violence” is that the accuser (spouse, girlfriend, relative, visitor, neighbor) has authority to “drop the charges” on request. Not true. Most District Attorney Offices have a zero-tolerance policy and will force the “victim” to testify, or will proceed with other evidence regardless of the so-called victim’s wishes or request.

Sometimes the charges are false. Sometimes they are mostly false and grossly exaggerated. Sometimes it’s an accident or mistake, and there was no “criminal intent.” Many defendants have a story to tell and can explain what really happened. Our job is to prepare and present the truth from our clients’ point of view.

The Impact Of Firearms On Penalties
Possession of firearms (and other weapons) often results in prosecution when the client truly believes that he is totally innocent. For example, other lawyers may have told a person that if they complete “probation” their criminal record is automatically expunged. Not true. A former felony probationer may be a “felon in possession” and prosecuted under several different statutes. The use of a weapon to commit a federal offense is punishable by an extra five years.

As conduct becomes more aggravated, the punishment increases. The Texas Penal Code ranks violent crimes as follows:

Assault without weapon or injury
Aggravated assault
Attempted murder
Family violence
Assaults involving a member of the household
Negligent homicide
Involuntary manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter
Murder
Capital murder
Life without parole
Death penalty
Firearms and prohibited weapons often increase the time a person must serve before release

D. WHITE COLLAR CRIMES

Involving Money And Property
When people think of white collar crime, they often think of high-profile criminals who have been involved in major crimes. However, white collar crime can cover a wide range of offenses, most of which deal with money and property. Abusing federal programs for health care, tax collection, and oil and gas regulations are common white collar crimes. Disputes between businessmen often include charges and counter charges of fraud are also common white collar crimes.

What white collar cases have in common is that they all include the accusation that there has been some type of deceit or breach of trust, and that money or property changed hands illegally as a result. White collar crimes almost always are nonviolent. However, the penalties and punishment can be severe, and accusations should be taken seriously.

Representing Corporations Accused Of Criminal Acts
When a corporation hires a criminal defense lawyer, that lawyer owes a duty to both the shareholders and the corporation as a whole. Corporations that are indicted for crimes face the “corporate death penalty” of withdrawn investment and cancellation of contracts and licenses to do business. Our attorneys sometimes must fight for a company’s very survival.

If you are accused or believe you may be implicated in a corporate criminal matter as an individual, it is important for you to have your own attorney; the corporation’s attorney does not owe a duty to you, only to the corporation and its shareholders.

White Collar Crimes We Litigate
Our attorneys have extensive experience defending clients accused of  white collar crimes, including the following:

Conspiracy
Money laundering
Theft and embezzlement
Securities fraud
Anti-theft violations
Environmental disputes
Extortion
Bribery
Public corruption
Tax evasion and tax protests
Bulk cash smuggling
Defense department fraud
Foreign corrupt practice
Health care fraud
Mail fraud
R.I.C.O. and organized crime
parks and wildlife
Aircraft parts fraud
Immigration offenses
Insurance fraud
The “procedural steps” for federal and state cases are complicated and may take months – or even years. Our practice is built on long-term relationships and we have the commitment and the skills to bring your case to a successful resolution.

E. SEX CRIMES

The Damage Done By Sex Offense Accusations
There is almost nothing that damages your reputation faster than being accused of a sex crime. Even if you are found innocent, the accusation alone can have devastating effects on your family life, career and standing in the community. Simply hiring an attorney after being accused of a sex crime is seen by many as an admission of guilt.

We understand the pressure you’re under. We treat people accused of sex crimes with respect – the implications of being accused of a sex crime are not dignified within the walls of our office. Our goal is to prevent your prosecution if at all possible, but we always fight to defend your rights and your reputation.

Defending All Types Of Sex Crimes
The nature of the sex offense and the relationship between the victim and the accused are often key to building a defense. We have even seen state and federal officers and other groups use deceptive tactics to entice ordinary law-abiding citizens into appearing to use the internet for illegal sex-related purposes.

Our attorneys have helped clients accused crimes including:

Sex trafficking
Crimes of violence (such as sexual assault)
Solicitation of prostitution
“Date rape”
Indecent exposure
Child pornography
Indecency with a child
No matter what offense you’ve been charged with, we have the skills and experience to protect your rights in court.