Federal Defense Lawyers Doing Whatever it Takes to Defend You Against Charges of False Statements to a Federal Agency

To be convicted of the federal crime of making a false statement to a federal agency, the following elements must exist beyond a reasonable doubt:

• The defendant actually made the statement or document in question;
• The statement or document was false;
• The false statement was not a trivial or unimportant detail;
• The defendant acted willfully and with knowledge that the statement or document was false; and
• The false statement or document was used in relation to a matter that fell within the jurisdiction of a federal agency.

It is important to note that a federal prosecutor must not prove anyone was in fact deceived or defrauded, but simply that the person charged had the intent to defraud. A skilled federal defense lawyer will understand this distinction and prepare the defense accordingly. It also important to note that the term "access device" means any credit card, account number, plate, electronic serial number, code, mobile identification number, personal identification number, or other means of account access that can be used, alone or in conjunction with another access device, to obtain money, goods, services, or any other thing of value, or that can be used to initiate a transfer of funds (other than a transfer originated solely by paper instrument). Therefore, "counterfeit access device" means any access device that is counterfeit, fictitious, altered, or forged, or an identifiable component of an access device or a counterfeit access device.