Defending yourself against charges of mail fraud

Posted By Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass || 16-Jul-2015

Many of those in Dallas with whom we work here at the Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass who've been accused of committing white collar crimes have often done so not knowing that they were doing anything wrong. One such crime whose ambiguous definition may make it difficult to understand is mail fraud. Mail fraud is a federal crime, and if you happen to find yourself accused of it, you could be facing some serious criminal penalties.

U.S. Code Chapter 18 Sections 1341 and 1342 outline the definitions associated with mail fraud. These include:

You may conduct business by mail and have the promises and guarantees that you make to customers misconstrued to be deceptive or fraudulent claims. In such a case, an appropriate response may be that you simply were engaged in puffery. This refers to making exaggerated or embellished claims in an attempt to move a product. A general claim such as your company offers "the best service on the planet" is an example of this.

Another acceptable defense to mail fraud may be that you were, indeed, acting in good faith. For example, you may solicit funds for a proposed business venture by mail. Ultimately, however, the endeavor may fail or not yield the return you anticipated. Still, you may avoid a charge of mail fraud if you're able to show that your pursuits were legitimate.

You can find more information on responding to a charge of mail fraud and other federal crimes on our site.