Law Office of Frank E. Stanley, P.C.

Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney

Dedicated to Defending the Wrongly Accused

Michigan Criminal Fraud Defense Attorney

The Law Firm of Frank Stanley provides aggressive criminal defense representation to individuals and businesses charged with various types of fraud, including Internet fraud, identity theft, tax fraud, accounting fraud and computer hacking. The firm works with some of the leading computer experts in the United States.

Fraud is intentionally lying in order to induce someone to rely on the lie and part with something of value. Like embezzlement, fraud can be either complex or simple and can result in either state or federal charges. The federal government has three general anti-fraud statutes for mail fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud. Mail fraud has two elements: (1) a scheme devised or intending to defraud or for obtaining property or money by fraudulent means, and (2) using the mails in furtherance of that fraudulent scheme. The "scheme to defraud" element of mail fraud is extremely broad. It encompasses a wide variety of criminal activity, including credit card fraud, securities fraud, medical drug fraud, and frauds based on political malfeasance. Because the mail fraud statute uses such broad language and because it is relatively easy to prove, mail fraud is one of the most common charges brought by federal prosecutors. Charges of mail fraud frequently are made even in cases in which more specific crimes have been charged.

The federal wire fraud statute is similar to the mail fraud statute, but requires an interstate or foreign transmittal of a communication by wire, radio, or television. The federal bank fraud statute criminalizes the conduct of any party who knowingly executes, or attempts to execute, a scheme or artifice to defraud a financial institution, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises.

From Grand Rapids, Michigan, criminal defense attorney Frank E. Stanley represents clients in both local and federal cases from throughout west Michigan, in cities including Lansing, Kalamazoo, Grand Haven, Holland, Allegan, St. Joseph, Traverse City, Muskegon, Marquette, and Detroit.