Identity Theft

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If you have been arrested for committing identity theft or fraud in California, you should hire an experienced Los Angeles theft defense attorney from the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. Our firm has been providing clients with excellent legal advice and representation for over 40 years. If you are facing criminal charges associated with an identity theft arrest, contact the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf to speak with one of our qualified defense attorneys about your California ID theft case.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people report identity theft in the United States. The government takes all accusations of ID theft very seriously and prosecutes defendants to the fullest extent of the law. Depending upon the circumstances, a person who is convicted of identity theft may be sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Recently, various State and Federal identity theft laws have been passed to increase the penalties for people convicted of these crimes. In 1998, the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act was passed in an effort to deter people from committing any form of identity theft. As the result of this law, any person who is convicted of committing ID theft will be punished under Federal law and charged with a felony.

The following are some examples of circumstances which constitute identity theft in California:

• Acquiring another person’s credit card information and using it to access that person’s account without his or her consent.
• Finding someone’s private information on the Internet and using it as a means to perform fraud.
• Opening an account in another individual’s name without that person’s authority.
• Using another person’s Social Security card, driver’s license, or identification card without his or her consent.

Many cases of identity theft also include other crimes, such as larceny and fraud, with which the defendant may be charged in addition to identity theft.

If you have been charged with identity theft you should contact a criminal lawyer at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf to discuss your case. We have the ability and experience to successfully defend clients who have been charged with identity theft and other forms of theft in California.