Credit card fraud is a very serious crime in Covington, TN. Tennessee has a law specifically for this, called illegal possession or fraudulent use of credit or debit card. To be found guilty of illegal possession, the state must prove that you took, exercised control over, or used the card or information from the card knowing that you did not have the consent of the owner. To be found guilty of fraudulent use of credit card, they must prove that you used or allowed to be used a credit or debit card or information from that card for the purpose of obtaining property, credit, services or anything else of value while knowing that the card is forged or stolen; it’s been revoked or cancelled; the card is expired and you’re using it with fraudulent intent; or any other unauthorized reason. If you’re charged with this crime you need to know what punishment you might be facing.
Call Stegall Law Firm at 901-205-9894 for more information
Credit card fraud in Tennessee is essentially treated as theft of property and the dollar value of the property will determine the punishment. If it’s $500 or less the charge is a misdemeanor punishable up to 11 months and 29 days. Over $500 and it’s a felony, with increasing punishment for amounts over $1,000, $10,000 and $60,000. What do you do if you’ve been charged with this offense? Talk to a Covington, TN credit card defense attorney first. Whatever the amount (but especially if it’s a felony) you’re faced with something that can jeopardize your job, family, freedom, and many of your civil rights. An attorney can be your advocate in court, negotiate with the prosecutor, get you the best deal possible, or even fight all the way to trial for you.
If this your first offense, you stand a good chance of having the charge removed from your record but it’s going to take some work. It will likely require going on probation and having to pay the money back. Now if it was a mistake, or you actually had the card holder’s permission, perhaps it can be cleared up and the charges dropped. Each case is different.
Contact Stegall Law
Patrick Stegall is a Tipton County, TN criminal lawyer. Among his specialties is credit card fraud in West Tennessee. If you’re charged with this offense, contact him to see what needs to be done to keep it off your record. His number is (901) 205-9894.
You must be logged in to post a comment.