Fort Worth Federal Crimes Defense Lawyer

The federal government also establishes rules for firearm use and ownership, and violations of these rules constitute federal crimes. A couple of important federal gun laws include the National Firearm Act (NFA) and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.

The NFA restricts the sale or possession of short-barreled shotguns, machine guns, and silencers. Prospective buyers must undergo a background check, purchase a tax stamp for the manufacture of the firearm, and register their weapon with the NFA. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act establishes that you cannot possess a gun for personal or business purposes if you:

• were convicted of a felony or a crime punishable by more than one year in prison;
• have been declared mentally defective by a court or are committed to a mental institution;
• have an addiction to a controlled substance or otherwise illegally use a controlled substance;
• were convicted of domestic violence;
• received a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces;
• are an illegal alien living unlawfully in the United States;
• renounced your U.S. citizenship; or
• are subject to a court restraining order that involves your intimate partner, your partner's child, or their children.

If you have been accused of violating a federal firearm law, such as for illegal possession, you should consult an experienced lawyer about your rights and what specific laws you have been alleged to violate. Federal firearm crimes can be nuanced, so it is in your best interests to work with a lawyer who knows how to protect your rights as a defendant and a gun owner.

White Collar Crimes

White collar crimes are financial crimes that are often prosecuted at the federal level. As mentioned above, crimes will be handled in federal court if they involve a federal agency (e.g., the IRS), if they crossed state lines (e.g., mail fraud), or if they involved the banking system. Some common examples of federal white collar crimes include:

• Tax evasion – willfully attempting to evade your federal tax obligations, such as intentionally not filing your tax return or intentionally making false statements on your tax return
• Wire fraud – a scheme to defraud someone of money or property through the use of interstate wire communications, such as phishing schemes, identity theft, telemarketing fraud, and spam-related financial crimes
• Corporate fraud – accounting schemes and “self-dealing” by corporate executives, such as insider trading, falsifying financial information, and misrepresenting your financial condition to avoid regulatory oversight
• Money laundering – the process of making “dirty” money that was obtained through unlawful means (e.g., through drug trafficking) look legal by hiding these funds in real estate investments or other reinvestment methods

White collar crimes are investigated by a slew of federal agencies, including the FBI, the IRS, the SEC, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Federal criminal accusations must be handled by an experienced professional. Mr. Shipley is a former FBI agent who brings over 20 years of experience in the criminal justice system as a defense lawyer and as a federal investigator. Who better to work on your federal defense than a former FBI agent who has conducted investigations himself?