Thought Leadership
The Impact of the 2026 Federal Sentencing Changes on Bank Fraud and Mortgage Fraud Cases
A bank fraud or mortgage fraud investigation can place years of business dealings under federal scrutiny. Loan applications, property appraisals, financial statements, and communications with lenders may all become evidence in a case that threatens a professional career and personal freedom. For borrowers, mortgage brokers, real estate developers, and banking professionals, the government’s interpretation… Read More »
Facing Federal Fraud Charges in New York? How the 2026 Sentencing Changes Could Affect Your Pending Case
Being indicted for federal fraud can leave you facing difficult decisions long before your case reaches trial or sentencing. Prosecutors may already have spent months reviewing financial records, interviewing witnesses, and building their allegations. Now, with a criminal case pending, you may be weighing whether to challenge the charges, negotiate a plea agreement, or… Read More »
How the 2026 Federal Sentencing Guidelines Change Fraud Loss Calculations
A disputed financial figure can change the course of a federal fraud case, particularly when it comes time for sentencing. Prosecutors may attribute hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in losses to alleged misconduct, but those figures do not always capture the full financial picture. The difference between what the government claims… Read More »
2026 Federal Sentencing Guidelines Changes: What White-Collar Defendants Need to Know
For business owners, corporate executives, and financial professionals facing federal criminal charges, the prospect of prison can be particularly unsettling. A federal investigation can threaten a career, financial security, and reputation long before a case reaches sentencing. With changes to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines scheduled to take effect on November 1, 2026, people facing… Read More »
Knock or Paper Trail? How Search Warrants and Subpoenas Differ in a Federal White-Collar Investigation
Imagine two different mornings. In one, federal agents arrive at your office at dawn with a warrant and leave with boxes of records. In the other, a thick envelope arrives demanding the same records by a deadline. Both are tools of a federal white-collar investigation, but they work very differently, and the difference can… Read More »
No Marks, Still a Felony: How New York Treats Strangulation as a Standalone Crime
For years, a person could be choked nearly to the point of unconsciousness and the case might end up charged as a simple misdemeanor assault, largely because there were no visible injuries. New York changed that in 2010 by creating strangulation as its own category of offense. If you or someone you know is… Read More »
Hit Send, Meet the Feds: What Counts as a “Wire” Under Federal Wire Fraud Law, From Emails to Zoom Calls
When most people hear the word “wire,” they picture copper cables or a bank transfer. Federal prosecutors picture something much broader. Under federal wire fraud law, a “wire” can include an email, a text message, a phone call, and even a video meeting. So what exactly turns an ordinary communication into the basis for… Read More »
Planning Is Not Nothing: Why You Can Be Charged With Conspiracy Even If the Underlying Crime Never Happened
Here is a question that surprises many people: how can someone be charged with a crime that never took place? Nothing was stolen, no drugs changed hands, nobody was hurt, and yet prosecutors announce a conspiracy indictment. The reason is simple, and a little unsettling. In criminal law, the agreement itself can be the… Read More »
The Closing Table’s Dark Twin: Real Estate and Mortgage Wire Fraud in Federal Court
A house closing already moves a staggering amount of money through a handful of emails and a single wire transfer, which is exactly why federal prosecutors in New York keep circling back to real estate and mortgage transactions when building wire fraud cases. If you’re wondering why this particular corner of white collar crime… Read More »
A Deadlier Kind of Agreement: Why Fentanyl Conspiracies Top Federal Priorities in 2026
Federal prosecutors in New York have made fentanyl trafficking conspiracies a defining priority in 2026, and the reason comes down to a single grim fact. Fentanyl has become so potent, and so often mixed unknowingly into other drugs, that a single transaction can end in a fatal overdose, and federal law treats that outcome… Read More »