We’ve all received the spam emails about a prince in some African country who needs our help, all you need to do is send them some money and the next thing you know you’ll be rich. Well while the African prince story is pretty far fetched and easy to spot as a fraud not all of these scenarios are so easily detected and often innocent unassuming people are tricked into losing their hard earned money. In Utah the criminal offense for this kind of conduct is communications fraud and it is a very broad statute that can encompass a wide array of activity.
Penalties for Communication Fraud in Utah
The Utah criminal code roughly defines communication fraud as devising a scheme to defraud another and communicating with a person to execute or conceal that scheme. So it is not enough that a person simply have a plan that they have hatched to try and cheat people out of their money they must also communicate with someone. The penalties for this crime depend on the amount of the property, assets, or money that was taken. For example, if the amount of the good obtained is less than $500 then it is a class B misdemeanor but if the amount is over $5,000 then it is a second degree felony.
Kaysville White Collar Crime Attorney | Defending against Communication Fraud Charges
Clearly the penalties associated with communication fraud can be very serious and because of that you need serious legal representation, so call Ogden Criminal Defense today to get that representation. We work in all northern Utah courts including Kaysville, Ogden, Layton, Brigham City and Bountiful. Call or email us today to find out how we can represent you, we offer free consultations over the phone and can help you understand your case and the possible outcomes.
