White Collar Crimes

Defending the rights of individuals and corporations accused of embezzlement

The Philadelphia-based Law Firm of Neff & Sedacca has spent more than 35 years providing aggressive, effective representation to individuals and corporations accused of fraud crimes. Protecting your rights throughout an investigation, and seeing you successfully through legal proceedings following an indictment, begins with solid investigation, a team approach, and clear communication. Whether charges focus on an individual or a corporate entity, experienced criminal defense attorneys at Neff & Sedacca strategically combat fraud charges ranging from tax fraud, mail fraud, and credit fraud to health insurance fraud and identity theft. Their record is unmatched throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The right defense for every fraud charge

Fraud charges of any magnitude must be handled properly. Swift response and early intervention, in some cases before charges are even filed, are key elements in a successful defense. Neff & Sedacca draws upon more than three decades of experience to achieve the best possible outcomes in cases involving:

• Tax fraud, which occurs when an individual or business entity knowingly falsifies information on a tax return in order to limit the amount of tax liability. Fraud accusations frequently arise from questionable deductions, expense claims, or income reporting.
• Mail fraud, defined as an act of deception that specifically uses the United States Postal Service to obtain economic advantage. A solicitation that originates by phone or on the internet also becomes subject to mail fraud charges if it involves the use of U.S. mail at any point (i.e. letter or email).
• Credit fraud arises from the use of any payment card, including credit cards and debit accounts, as a source of funds in a transaction without consent of the account holder. An act of credit fraud is also a form of identity theft and carries severe penalties upon conviction.
• Identify theft is the acquisition and use of financial or personal information for the sole purpose of assuming the owner’s identity for financial gain. As a fraud crime that can result in misdemeanor or felony charges, identity theft accusations require careful, meticulous defense.

Neff & Sedacca limits its practice to federal and state criminal defense matters. Attorney Marc Neff has handled a wide variety of fraud cases, representing corporate and business executives, professionals, public officials, and individuals. The firm is supported by a team of highly trained assistants and para professionals.

With offices based in Philadelphia, Neff & Sedacca represents individuals and corporations facing serious criminal charges throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, across the United States and, in cases that require it, internationally.

The accessibility of electronically stored personal data and online transactions has increased the incidence of credit card fraud as well as accusations of serious criminal acts involving credit fraud. The Philadelphia-based law offices of Neff & Sedacca has spent more than 35 years providing aggressive, effective and respected representation to individuals and corporations accused of fraud crimes including credit card fraud and identity theft.

In all such cases, time is of the essence. Prosecutors may begin building a case well before an arrest is made. Attorneys Marc Neff and Matt Sedacca have represented corporate and business executives, professionals, public officials, and others who have been charged with credit fraud. The firm works quickly and precisely, applying their in-depth knowledge of credit card crimes to protect your rights and see you successfully through legal proceedings in Pennsylvania or New Jersey.

What is credit fraud?

Credit fraud arises from the use of any payment card, including credit cards and debit accounts, as a source of funds in a transaction without consent of the account holder. An act of credit fraud often involves identity theft. Actionable offenses can include:

• Physical theft of a credit card and assuming the owner’s identity in order to purchase merchandise or remove funds from the account,
• Theft of credit card data,
• Unauthorized use of credit card data to make online purchases,
• Opening a new credit card account using someone else’s personal information, and
• Producing or using forged credit cards.

“Skimming” is another version of credit fraud that occurs when a business employee illicitly accesses customer credit card information. That data is then used or sold to other parties for the purpose of taking over the victims’ identities.

As credit fraud has become more sophisticated, the legal approach to handling these matters has become more complex. Neff & Sedacca and their highly trained team of assistants and para professionals understand how technological advances create new avenues for credit fraud and identity theft, as well as how prosecutors employ technology to gather incriminating evidence.

Fighting fraud charges in Philadelphia and throughout the U.S.

All forms of credit fraud carry severe penalties upon conviction. The federal government and each individual state have multiple laws that pertain to various types of fraud. The particular facts of a case dictate whether alleged fraudulent activity is prosecuted as a state crime, a federal crime, or both.

Experienced legal defense is imperative in fraud cases. Neff & Sedacca limits its practice to federal and state criminal defense matters. With offices based in Philadelphia, the firm investigates every aspect of credit fraud charges to skillfully prepare and present a successful defense. Mr. Neff is considered among the top tier of criminal defense lawyers in the United States in fraud cases.

Doctors, dentists, chiropractors and other health care professionals are sitting targets for the zealous prosecutor. With over thirty-five (35) years of experience representing medical professionals, Neff & Sedacca has developed a reputation for zealous and effective representation while maintaining the strictest confidentiality.

The ever changing laws, both state and federal, create traps for the unwary medical professional. Individuals and organizations must be vigilant in their attention to constantly changing statutes and requirements.

Many of the medical professionals represented by this office have been charged with fraud related offenses such as Insurance fraud, Tax fraud, Billing fraud and Medicare/Medicaid fraud. Not only does the medical professional risk loss of his/her professional license, incarceration is a possibility upon conviction for a fraud offense. Additionally, medical professionals often find themselves in need of an experienced criminal defense attorney in drug related cases involving prescriptions, dispensing of drugs or record keeping violations. Here, even minor violations can result in professional sanctions.

Copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of works protected by copyright laws. Copyright laws grant exclusive rights to the copyright holder who is usually the creator. Copyright infringement often involves counterfeiting. Many items that appear to be authentic may indeed be counterfeit. This includes medicines (patent and Rx), auto parts, CD’s, music, clothing and just about anything that can be duplicated and sold. While many copyright infringement violations are resolved in civil court, cases involving counterfeiting of products are prosecuted in the criminal justice system. Generally, these cases are brought in federal court, particularly if the counterfeit items are drugs or dangerous substances.

Copyright infringement is also referred to as piracy, that is the unauthorized copying, distributing and selling works covered by the copyright of another. While a counterfeit t-shirt or handbag may not seem important enough to attract federal government attention, counterfeit heart medication or blood pressure pills could be fatal if not produced correctly.

At Neff & Sedacca, we have handled many counterfeiting cases covering everything from prescription medications to unauthorized championship football jerseys.

Forfeiture cases generally arise when the Government confiscates or takes a person’s property with the intent to keep that property, claiming that it was the product of criminal activity. Forfeiture law, while separate from substantive criminal law, often goes hand-in-hand with a criminal case.

The Government may even try to take property not directly related to the actual crime. There are strict rules that must be followed in forfeiture cases. Ignoring these rules could result in the loss of the property. For over thirty-five (35) years, Mr. Neff has successfully represented many defendants in forfeiture cases.

A grand jury is nothing more than a group of citizens that has been called to hear evidence and determine whether or not a person should be charged with a crime. As a tool of the prosecutor, a grand jury can be used to initiate criminal proceedings or to investigate possible violations of criminal law. Often the person who is the target of the investigation will not know of the grand jury’s existence because it generally meets in secret. If you suspect that you are the target of a grand jury investigation, you should immediately contact experienced criminal defense trial counsel.

Frequently, persons and corporations that are targets of grand jury investigations will receive subpoenas for documents, handwriting exemplars, fingerprints, and for other items of evidence. If you have received such a subpoena, you should immediately contact an attorney experienced in these matters.

Even if you are subpoenaed as a witness before a grand jury, you are entitled to — and should — retain counsel to protect your rights before the grand jury.

The attorneys at Neff & Sedacca are experienced criminal defense attorneys. They have represented witnesses, subjects and targets of both state and federal grand jury prosecutions. With more than thirty-five years of criminal trial experience, Neff & Sedacca provides comprehensive representation whether a person is called as a witness or is the target of a grand jury investigation.