This month, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Kousisis v. United States, a case that could have significant implications on the future of federal white-collar prosecutions. Specifically, the Court is considering the boundaries of federal fraud statutes in scenarios where deceptive practices are employed without causing direct financial harm…
A five count indictment was unsealed this past week in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of New York. The federal court in Brooklyn charged Gautam S. Adani, Sagar R. Adani and Vneet S. Jaain, executives of an Indian renewable-energy company, with conspiracies to commit securities and…
As we explained in our prior post about federal child pornography laws, the consequences of a child pornography or CSAM (“Child Sexual Abuse Material”) conviction are severe and life-altering. And the collateral consequence of being on the sex offender registry can be devastating. Early on, Conaway & Strickler defended cases…
As discussed in our prior blogs, the Department of Justice has already been prosecuting cases of larger-scale, outright PPP fraud. In August 2022, President Biden signed two bills into law that give the Department of Justice and other federal agencies more time to investigate and prosecute Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and COVID-19 Economic…
In recent years, unruly behavior on flights has become a growing concern, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to escalate its enforcement efforts. Since 2021, the FAA has referred over 310 cases of severe incidents to the FBI for criminal prosecution. These cases involve dangerous acts like physical assaults, attempts…
Recently, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) issued a pivotal final rule aimed at tightening regulatory oversight in the residential real estate sector. This change marks a significant step towards enhancing transparency in an industry that has, until now, been relatively free from such regulatory scrutiny. Generally, the new rule…
Cell phones are everywhere today and thus play a significant role in criminal investigations. What reports are generated from my devices? Cellebrite reports provide information about phone calls and text messages; but now it also provides a report on the data stored on these devices such as voicemails, images, and…
In the world of banking and finance, the term “Suspicious Activity Report” (SAR) may sound intimidating—especially if you’ve been notified that a bank has filed one concerning your transactions. For individuals and businesses alike, it’s essential to understand what a SAR is, what activities can trigger these reports, and the…
In the age of social media, viral trends come and go at lightning speed. Some are harmless and fun, but others can lead people into serious legal trouble. One of the most alarming trends recently circulating on TikTok is the so-called “free money hack.” This trend falsely promises easy money…
The SEC recently filed a complaint against Todd Burkhalter and Atlanta-based Drive Planning LLC. It alleges that from 2020 through June 2024, $300 million was raised for purported real estate investments from over 2000 investors. It is alleged that the the money was instead misappropriated to fund Burkhalter’s “lavish lifestyle”…