As cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, is becoming increasingly popular it makes sense that on occasion someone would want to transfer cash into bitcoin or bitcoin into cash. However, in many cases, this type of transaction could be illegal and a serious federal offense;...
Asset seizures for the purpose of forfeiture happens with shocking frequency. Law enforcement authorities at all levels are involved with forfeitures and they are frequently coordinating their efforts between the federal, state and municipal levels to launch criminal...
We live in a digital era. Police use body cameras. There are cameras and home security systems littered throughout every neighborhood. ATM machines usually have security cameras that are always recording what they see. Even the smartphones carried by most citizens can...
Police corruption in Illinois is nothing new. In recent years, we’ve seen the corruption scandal surrounding Sgt. Ronald Watts result in many convictions being thrown out of court, and this story is far from the first incident like this. But what does this mean for...
In the previous blog post, we discussed the warrant requirement generally and some exceptions that have been applied over the years. In this post, we are looking at a relatively recent Supreme Court case that creates some significant limitations on warrantless entry...
One of the most important aspects of criminal defense is uncovering instances of police error and procedural abuse. When the police make errors in the investigation, arrest or other aspects of your case, these errors could result in a violation of your constitutional...
Whenever allegations arise of someone in the medical field committing fraud, it is usually assumed to be a case of healthcare fraud. However, there are distinct elements to healthcare fraud and other types of fraud. Quite often, allegations or charges surrounding a...
Like many white collar crimes insider trading can be extremely complicated. It is not uncommon for a person to get information and use it on the stock market, without having any idea that they are committing a crime. If you deal at all with securities, it is critical...
The law is changing all the time. It is no small task keeping up with the changes that occur in every area of law from one year to the next. Illinois lawmakers have drafted nearly 300 new laws and changes to existing legislation, according to NBC Chicago online. These...
Gun control and aggressive prosecution of gun crimes have been significant stories in Chicago and throughout Illinois in recent months. In a recent post, we talked about the federal crackdown of straw purchasers of weapons. An important related issue involves “ghost...
