Louisiana readers may be aware that white collar crimes take place, but because the crimes usually take behind the scenes, it can be years before it is even noticed. A white collar crime can be something like fraud or money laundering, and if you’ve been accused of these serious crimes, you may want to seek legal advice. It’s important to know that these crimes could be charged at the federal level, and that can result in more serious punishments like prison sentences or large fines.
A report from Nov. 16 states that five people have been sentenced because they were allegedly involved in auto accident insurance fraud. The five northwest Louisiana residents have been sentenced to up to 14 months in prison because it is believed that they staged accidents that would allow them to make auto insurance claims. According to one U.S. Attorney, three of the people who were sentenced were from Arcadia, and the other two were from Athens.
The longest prison sentence resulted in a term of 14 months, and that went to one 42-year-old man from Athens who was charged with and sentenced for wire fraud, conspiracy and health care fraud. A 33-year-old man from Athens was sentenced to 13 months for conspiracy and wire fraud, and he also reportedly has to pay back $7,463. All of the others involved allegedly got sentences that varied; one has five years of probation, another has a single day in prison, and the third faces four months in prison.
Being charged with fraud is a serious accusation that can lead to you having to pay back huge sums of money or result in your having to spend time in prison. If you’ve been charged with a crime, look into your legal options. You may be able to defend your reputation until you are proven guilty or your case is dismissed.
Source:
KSLA, “5 Sentenced for auto accident insurance fraud” No Author Given, Nov. 16, 2013
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