Cincinnati Federal Crimes Blog

Identity theft is a form of fraud that is becoming increasingly more common, which may be one of the reasons it is being dealt with harshly in the courts. According to the Identity Fraud Study of 2017, identity thieves have stolen over $107 billion in the last six years.

Identity theft is when one person takes information of another person for the purpose of assuming the victim's name or identity to make transactions or purchases. Whereas Ohio residents may think the traditional identity theft is going through trash bins looking for bank account or credit card statements and making fraudulent credit card purchases, the reality is that the crime has evolved to include stealing online identities. High tech identity thefts are often accused of accessing corporate databases to view customer information. All identity theft is not equal and it is important to understand the charges one is facing to ensure that an adequate defense can be mounted.

Allegations of fraud continue to plague what used to be Ohio's largest online charter school, as Ohio's auditor claims the school inflated student participation numbers to collect millions in taxpayer money. He is now handing over what he considered proof to the authorities.

His audit relied heavily on the program that the charter school used to track online student participation. According to him, the school handed over documentation to the Ohio Department of Education that showed log-in and log-out times but the information did not include the websites being visited or the programs students were enrolled in. Upon a deeper dive, he alleges he discovered that the school did not deduct anything from the student's time on the computer. This means that learning time, idle time and time spent on a non-learning activity was all included in the time being tracked.

There is a common misconception that anyone arrested for committing a crime must have done it. After all, law enforcement agencies only arrest someone after they have gathered enough evidence. But, this is not always the case. As mentioned previously, not all evidence is credible and admissible. Additionally, arguments can be countered and stories discredited with the help of an experienced defense attorney.

Putting one's case forward from the onset is essential though. Accusations and allegations of drug crimes have the potential to ruin someone's life and reputation in an instant. Since Ohio is home to one of the cities that falls in the 100 most dangerous cities in the country, criminal charges carry serious penalties. Therefore, imprisonment, fines, penalties, license revocation and probation can follow a conviction. All of this can impact one's ability to earn a living.

Much of a criminal case revolving around drug crimes depends on the type of evidence recovered at the scene of the alleged crime. Since facing drug charges itself is so overwhelming, Ohio residents may not be aware that not all evidence collected holds the same weight, and not all of it can be admitted. Certain laws govern how different parties in criminal trial present evidence and how it is going to be evaluated. This subject is important in all criminal trials, and it is a major part of all trial involving drug charges.

It is important to understand the different types of evidence and how much credibility it will hold in court. Circumstantial evidence is perhaps, the most common type of evidence -- it is evidence that is supposed to prove a fact by proving circumstances from which the matter can be reasonably inferred. For example, video surveillance that shows the accused was on the same block where the crime was committed could be considered strong circumstantial evidence.