People in New York who are arrested for any type of crime should always be aware of the many steps that may be involved in a criminal process. First and foremost, being arrested does not mean that a person will be found guilty of the offense for which they were originally charged. Even if a guilty verdict is received or a guilty plea entered voluntarily, variances in sentences as well as appeal processes may still impact the ultimate outcome of a case.
One woman from Dunkirk today is learning how this process works as she will be sentenced in early April after recently entering into a plea agreement with prosecutors for her alleged involvement in a mail fraud case. Reports suggest that the woman was one of three people who used multiple post office boxes under a potentially false business name to lure small businesses into giving them money for a fake scam. The trio are said to have advertised the ability to help debt-laden companies reduce their financial burden. In total, more than $1 million was said to have been illegally obtained this way.
The guilty plea entered by the woman could send her to prison for up to 30 years but the recommendation on the table is for as few as 21. The maximum fine for her offense is $1 million but the recommendation is between $10,000 and $95,000.
New York residents who must await a sentencing judge’s decision and want to understand this process might want to reach out to an attorney for help.
Source: The Salamanca Press, “Dunkirk woman pleads guilty in Salamanca mail fraud case,” Bob Clark, December 20, 2017