Lawrence County Identity Theft Lawyer

You may have heard of identity theft being discussed in the news or referenced in regards to protecting your online credit card information. Identity theft seems to be a problem that is becoming all too familiar these days.

Identity theft includes different actions, such as obtaining someone’s identity in order to benefit personally and making use of someone else’s name in order to obtain a loan. Virtually every police force now includes a cyber unit in charge of investigating crimes committed online.

If the government has accused you or a loved one of identity theft, it may be in your best interest to speak with a knowledgeable attorney as soon as you are able to. A representative may be able to explain what laws might apply to your situation and what strategies may be the most useful to you. A Lawrence county identity theft lawyer may also be able to discuss what defenses may apply to your case.

In the Code of Alabama, identity theft is defined as an act where someone, without the victim’s permission and with the intention to defraud, does the following:

• gets, records or has access to the victim’s indentifying information that is useful for accessing financial resources, identification documents or the victim’s benefits;
• obtains things of value by using the victim’s identifying information;
• obtains identification documents in the name of the victim; and
• obtains a job using the victim’s identifying information.

Identity theft does not include people using another person’s identification in order to obtain alcohol or cigarettes underage.

Identity theft is a Class B Felony and there is a seven-year statute of limitations for the state to prosecute someone (Code of Alabama 13A-8-192).

It is also a crime to sell stolen identities. The court can convict someone if they make, sell, transfer, buy or have stolen identities with the intention to sell, make, transfer, or buy those documents in order to steal another person’s identity. The court can infer intention to traffic in stolen identities if the person accused had five or more identifying documents of other people (Code of Alabama 13A-8-193).

Obstructing justice using a false identity is also illegal. The court can convict someone if they use a false identity in order to avoid various legal procedures, such as arrests or prosecutions (Code of Alabama 13A-8-194).

The court can sentence someone convicted of identity theft with 2 to 20 years in jail and a fine of not more than $30,000. The victim may also bring a civil suit against the defendant and may recover $5,000 for each act of identity theft or treble damages, whichever is greatest, attorney’s fees and court costs (Code of Alabama 13A-8-199). If charged, it is imperative to get in touch with a Lawrence county identity theft lawyer as soon as possible.

If the police have accused you of identity theft, it may be time to retain the services of a knowledgeable attorney who may be able to explain the applicable laws to you and help you formulate a plan of defense in order to best protect yourself from prosecution and other negative consequences related to criminal charges.

Time may be a factor, so consider calling a representative during the early stages of any investigation, which may help reduce any undesirable fallout. Reach out a Lawrence county identity theft lawyer today.