Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, California's Employment Development Department (EDD) has lost billions of dollars due to fraudulent unemployment claims. According to officials, more than $11 billion of that money has been stolen by a known sophisticated international crime ring. The organizat...
There is often quite a bit of overlap between California state law and federal law when it comes to prosecuting crimes. If you're charged with a crime, chances are you'll be tried either by the state or by the federal government—most defendants will face one or the other, but not both. However, i...
If you've been arrested on marijuana charges, you may be aware that you'll likely be facing state charges, but you might also face federal charges in some instances. This is because the state and the federal government have separate and distinct laws concerning controlled substances — and federal...
One of the most frequently discussed topics in the criminal justice reform debate is mandatory minimum sentencing. Initially, state and federal legislators developed these laws to create sentencing uniformity. However, the outcome of these mandatory sentences has been anything but uniform, especi...
Being charged with a federal crime can be highly stressful and disruptive to every aspect of your life—but it's possible to make things even worse. Federal criminal defendants are often their own worst enemies because they make mistakes that benefit the prosecution and hurt their own case. What y...
From the moment the film G-Men entered the American consciousness in 1935, the country has been fascinated by what the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is and does — and how it does it. However, while some movies like Silence of the Lambs focus on the investigative aspects of the FBI, many f...
Facing an arrest for federal crimes can be scary. But what do you do when you're completely innocent? How can you exonerate yourself? An important thing to remember is that you don't have to prove your innocence. Rather, it is the federal government's burden to prove that you are guilty beyond a ...
More than 1.2 million people face an arrest in California each year. If you're facing an arrest, you aren't alone. But it's important to understand if you're facing federal or state charges. If you've been arrested for a federal crime, how do you stay calm and react intelligently? First, it's imp...
We live during an unfortunate moment in American history. Over the last several years, the U.S. government has made legal immigration increasingly difficult. That drives more and more people to try and enter the country illegally. Rather than recognizing that legal immigration policy should chang...
Healthcare fraud occurs when a patient or medical professional makes false statements on an insurance claim or falsely bills Medicare, Medicaid, state healthcare services, or a private insurer for financial gain. Depending on the circumstances, a person charged with healthcare fraud could face fe...
When accused of a crime, it can be hard to completely open and honest about the case's facts. The police or federal agents are trying to get information out of you. You know that agents are interviewing your friends and family. You don't know who you can trust. But the one person you should never...
We naturally expect certain federal crimes to carry significant sentences, especially when they involve causing physical or mental harm to another person. We expect people convicted of child pornography or drug trafficking to get 20-30 years, or even life in prison, for example. But when the crim...
The shock and embarrassment of an arrest can scramble the mind of just about anyone. An FBI arrest for tax evasion, mail or wire fraud, counterfeiting, or other federal crime can be even more frightening and disabling of one's reason. Clear thinking is hard but imperative to one's successful defe...
These days, now more than ever, federal prosecutors rely on social media to gain information and context about the people they are investigating or prosecuting. If you've recently been arrested on federal fraud charges, you can be sure your social media accounts are being monitored and scoured fo...
You've just received terrible news. Your husband or boyfriend has been arrested and is being detained at the Los Angeles Men's Central Jail on federal criminal charges. Once the initial shock of the news has passed, you're probably going to experience confusion, anger, fear, and even dread. Feder...
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center is a federal facility where defendants charged with federal crimes are held pending trial, or to serve short federal sentences if already convicted. If you have a loved one held in this facility, they are likely facing potentially serious offenses wit...
As bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency have gained rapid popularity globally, so have incidents of criminal activity involving crypto. Most cryptocurrency crimes in the U.S. are considered federal offenses because transactions occurring in the blockchain aren't bound by state boundaries. If...
Kidnapping. Murder. Money laundering. Extortion. These are just some of the charges a southern California couple could be facing after authorities claim they uncovered an elaborate scheme that crossed the border into Mexico. The two accused are now facing felony charges and could possibly face li...
At Sigal Law Group, we understand that times are stressful right now in Los Angeles as well as around the country. With the coronavirus lockdowns dragging on and now an early heat wave here in southern California, people are anxious about the current situation and getting antsy to return to a “no...
We are nearing the one-month anniversary of the state of California being under a “stay at home” mandate, thanks to COVID-19 spreading across the country. For some of us, this past month may have felt more like a year in length, but most Californians have adapted pretty quickly to what a new “nor...
If you are starting to feel antsy from being cooped up at home with your family during the coronavirus pandemic, there is one silver lining to think about: the crime rate in Los Angeles County dropped 23 percent in March compared to a year ago. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore re...
We are currently living in unique times. The spread of COVID-19 throughout the United States is quickly changing everyday life. On Thursday, March 19, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a “shelter in place” mandate, closing all nonessential businesses and facilities in the entire state of Califor...
Unfortunately in this country, marijuana convictions disproportionately affect people of color, and those who have been convicted of misdemeanor possession of marijuana have potentially had to deal with being discriminated against when it comes to applying for jobs, housing, and government assist...
After serving 15 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Ricky Davis is a free man. This case not only highlights the kinds of techniques law enforcement can employ to wrangle false confessions out of witnesses, but it demonstrates how important DNA evidence can now be used in conjunction ...
It has been a complicated case that has involved past and current prosecutors, multiple alleged victims, a former orthopedic surgeon turned reality television star and his girlfriend, and surprise rulings in court. And despite it looking like the entire matter was going to end last week, the case...
