Identity Theft Defense in Miami-Dade County

Criminal Defense in South Florida

Identity theft is a crime that occurs when one person assumes the personal or financial identity of another individual. This is a form of fraud. As the internet becomes more popular, the annual number of fraud arrests increases too. Not every identity theft accusation is based on truth, though. In fact, it can be very difficult for law enforcement to identify the right defendant in an identity theft case.

If you were arrested, call our Miami-Dade County identity theft lawyer at The Law Offices of Eric M. Matheny, P.A. today. We can be reached at (305) 504-6655.

Identity Theft Laws (Fla. Stat. §817.568)

Second degree felony identity theft occurs when an individual takes someone else's information without consent. According to the law, identity theft is a second degree felony when the defendant uses the identification to gain or avoid payment equal to $5,000 or more. Additionally, second degree felony identity theft occurs when the alleged perpetrator takes information from 10 (but less than 20) people. If the defendant uses the identification to gain more than $50,000, the crime could be charged as a first degree felony.

• Identity theft examples:
• Creating a new credit card account with someone else's personal information (social security number, birthday, etc.)
• Starting a phone service plan with someone else's name and financial information
• Opening a bank account using someone else's personal information and writing invalid checks from it

Fighting Identity Theft Charges

Charged with identity theft? You don't have to face this accusation alone. At The Law Offices of Eric M. Matheny, P.A., you can have peace of mind knowing that an aggressive Miami-Dade County identity theft attorney is on your side. We have years of experience helping people like you avoid the penalties of an unfair or unnecessary criminal charge.

Contact us today to see what our Miami-Dade identity theft defense lawyers can do for your case.