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The following federal agencies investigate different types of federal crimes:
With the advent of the internet, many crimes have moved online. Cybercrimes are criminal offenses committed on the internet and can include such actions as distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, hacking, online identity theft, ransomware, viruses, and worms. Cybercrimes continue to grow and are frequently prosecuted in federal court since they are committed across state lines.
Counterintelligence offenses involve the sharing of sensitive U.S. information with members of foreign intelligence agencies or participating in this type of activity. These offenses might involve information about the U.S. economy, finances, public health, advanced technologies, or different technology sectors.
A few examples of counterintelligence offenses involving federal espionage are found in 18 U.S.C. Chapter 37 as follows:
Federal civil rights violations involve physical or verbal threats to someone else based on their protected characteristics. The following examples of civil rights violations and their penalties are found in 18 U.S.C. Chapter 13:
The FBI gathers information about criminal gang activity, including organized criminal actions and racketeering. The following is an example of a federal criminal gang crime as found in 18 U.S.C. § 521:
Under 18 U.S.C. § 2331, terrorism includes both international terrorism and domestic terrorism. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2332, committing an act of terrorism will result in penalties based on the following offenses:
A terrorism charge is an especially serious matter in the U.S. The government has taken an aggressive stance on terrorism since the September 11 attacks.
Some examples of terrorism include the following:
Federal crimes against children include a variety of different offenses directed toward victims under the age of 18. These offenses might include child pornography, child trafficking, sexual exploitation, or child abuse. The following are examples of crimes against children and their penalties under 18 U.S.C. Chapter 110:
Extortion is a type of white-collar crime that can be charged federally. Under 18 U.S.C. Chapter 41, here are a few types of extortion offenses and their penalties:
Robbery and burglary are commonly charged in state court. However, when these offenses are committed by a network of individuals, they can be charged as federal crimes. Under 18 U.S. C. Chapter 103, people who commit robberies or burglaries as a part of an organized network can face the following offenses:
Under 18 U.S.C. Chapter 51, homicide is the unlawful killing of a victim who is a resident of the U.S. that involves any type of violent act. The following penalties apply to homicide in various degrees:
Federal courts use the Federal Sentencing Guidelines to determine the sentence to impose when someone is convicted of a federal crime. While allowed in some situations, deviations from the federal guidelines are rare. The guidelines take the following factors into account:
Like all other states, Florida has a criminal code that defines various types of prohibited conduct and assigns penalties to offenses based on their levels of severity. If a crime involved crossing state lines, it will typically be prosecuted in federal court. The federal court also will try crimes that involve federal law violations.
Some examples of state crimes that might be charged include the following:
In addition to offenses that involve crossing state lines, federal crimes can also be charged when they involve damage to federal property or violations of federal law. The following are some examples of federal crimes that might be charged:
Some state crimes become federal offenses when they occur in more than one state. For example, if the defendant kidnapped a victim in Georgia and drove them into Florida before murdering them, it would be prosecuted federally.
Port Saint Lucie federal crimes lawyer Jeffrey H. Garland, Esq. has decades of experience defending people in both state and federal court. He is dedicated to protecting the rights and liberty interests of his clients and will strive to craft the best defense strategy in your case. Contact the law firm of Jeffrey H. Garland, P.A. today at (772) 489-2200 to schedule a personalized consultation.
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