On April 5, a 55-year-old Louisiana business owner entered a guilty plea in federal court to a single count of wire fraud. He submitted a total of eight false applications to three different finance companies, and his fraud netted him $294,000. The owner of Ameritek Office Solutions acknowledged that there were no sales or deliveries of office equipment.
The defendant is set to be sentenced on July 10. It was not clear whether the man was free on bail or if he would held in custody until that date. He could spend up to 30 years in jail as well as another five years on supervised release. In addition to the time in custody, the defendant could be subject to up to $1 million in fines.
People who have been charged with fraud or other types of federal white-collar crimes can face significant penalties if the prosecution is able to obtain a conviction. These consequences can include spending several years in prison, the payment of hefty fines, probation after release, and the payment of restitution. In addition, they might find it difficult to ever obtain housing or gainful employment.
This is why people who are in this type of a situation might find it advisable to meet with a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible so that a strategy to counter the government’s accusations can start to be constructed. In circumstances where the evidence appears to be overwhelmingly in the prosecution’s favor, an attorney could suggest that a plea agreement be negotiated, although the choice ultimately rests with the defendant.