A California man was sentenced this week in Federal court for crimes that required a lot of planning and financing but unfortunately for him, little payout. According to the Seattle Sun-Times, the 61 year old defendant was sentenced to 4 years in prison and 4 on supervised release.
The plot involved more than one person and several states. The men flew into Sea Tac airport and traveled south, hitting banks in Auburn and Portland. They used fake identities to set up accounts and then write checks to receive cash from those accounts.
In all, the group made off with only $3,400, likely far less than what they originally intended. The Seattle article indicates that at least one bank denied their attempts.
The fairly lengthy sentence when compared to the relatively small dollar amount likely has a lot to do with the intent and the several law violations involved. “This was not a spur of the moment crime to satisfy a drug addiction, but a deliberate assault on the banking system…” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scoville.
Although federal charges are different from those you face in Oregon state courts, many of the laws are similar. Worthless checks, credit fraud, and identity fraud are all crimes at the state level as well.
Most often we see these kinds of offenses committed when a defendant believes there is little risk of getting caught. However, once caught, they kick themselves for thinking their actions were a calculated risk.
Even for a first time worthless check charge, you could face jail time. And if this is your second such offense in less than 5 years, your charge will be a felony, punishable by up to 5 years.
The charge you face and the sentence that goes along with it depend on the details of your case. For additional information about how the Oregon courts work and for some legal advice specific to your case, contact our attorneys today.