Atlanta Criminal Federal Defense Law Blog

A former University of Georgia football coach was recently indicted on allegations of running a ponzi scheme along with a business partner. The two are facing a variety of charges ranging from mail fraud and wire fraud to conspiracy. The coach has entered a not guilty plea and is currently out on bond.

The scheme allegedly revolved around the coach securing investors willing to sink money into their company while his business partner controlled the everyday operation of the business. They promised the investors returns, but the company reportedly made little money besides the investors that the coach had convinced to support the company financially. So when the investors received returns, it was apparently because the men had secured new investors.

School officials at a Duluth school are facing charges of bringing immigrants into the country to work at local businesses under the guise of hosting them as international students at the school. The federal crimes charged include conspiracy, falsifying documents, fraudulently charging tuition and undermining the purpose of a US student visa.

The alleged charges are a result of a federal investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency along with the FBI. The school administrators reportedly helped the immigrants obtain visas, passports, school transcripts and bank statements, among other documents.

When a criminal indictment comes down, it is a natural reaction to look for ways to get the charges dropped. Whether an attorney can help achieve a not guilty verdict or something happens in court to make the case get thrown out, a way out is understandably desirable. But one Georgia woman facing fraud charges is being dealt additional fraud charges after forging a judge's signature in the midst of her court cases.

The woman was already under investigation for several mortgage-related crimes, including illegally entering foreclosed homes and trying to falsify documents to steal the homes and name herself as the owner of the houses. After being indicted on those charges, she began a series of federal lawsuits naming the judge in her case and the State of Georgia as defendants, demanding freedom and millions of dollars in damages.

A 26-year-old journalist has recently been indicted on federal charges for a computer hacking conspiracy. The indictment alleges that the man took part in a 2010 hacking scheme to break into the Los Angeles Times' online system. The federal crime was apparently uncovered by an FBI agent working from within a hacker group.

The charges leveled against the man include conspiracy to transmit information to damage a protected computer as well as an attempt charge. If convicted of these charges, he could face maximum charges of 25 years of jail time and $500,000 in fines.