Flying Too Low In Orange County May Lead to FAA Enforcement Action for “Buzzing”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently cleared a pilot of wrongdoing in several alleged “buzzing” incidents over a Northern California neighborhood in July.

The FAA’s case was based on reports that a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza was seen flying low over a neighborhood belonging to the alleged pilots ex-girlfriend several times over a two-week period.

Nevertheless, unable to establish sufficient evidence to determine conclusively that the Bonanza’s pilot violated the minimum 1,000-foot AGL requirement Read more

Prostitution in Orange County Can Be a Federal Offense

Federal charges were filed in a prostitution scheme at three “spas”. Federal agents have arrested a California businessman and a woman on charges of conspiracy to transport prostitutes across state lines and money laundering after a two-year investigation into several county tanning salons.

18 U.S.C. 2422 states:
It is forbidden to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, or coerce any individual to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution or any criminal sexual activity. Read more

Selling Private Company Secrets Spells Economic Espionage

Four people were arrested in February in connection with two separate alleged incidents of spying for China. A man from California was arrested on charges of stealing trade secrets from aerospace manufacturer Boeing, while three others were held on suspicion of passing classified US documents to China.

The Economic Espionage Act (EEA) of 1996 was passed by Congress in order to strengthen weak and ineffectual laws.  The EEA now makes economic espionage a federal offense with stiff prison sentences and fines up to $10 million. 

Section 1831, also known as the Economic Espionage Act states that it is a federal criminal offense to intend or knowing that the offense will benefit any foreign government, foreign instrumentality, or foreign agent, knowingly, steal, or without authorization appropriates, takes, carries away, or conceals, or by fraud or deception obtains a trade secret. Violators shall be fined up to $500,000 or imprisoned up to 15 years, or both.

Furthermore, one may not copy, duplicate, sketch, draw, photograph, download, upload, alter, destroy, photocopy, replicate, transmit, deliver, send, mail, communicate, or convey a trade secret to a foreign government or agent without authorization.

Nor may any individual receive, buy, possess a trade secret, or conspire to do so, knowing the trade secret to have been stolen or appropriated, obtained, or converted without authorization. Violators are subject to the same penalties.

If you are being investigated by the Department of Justice, the FBI, or any other law enforcement agency for allegations of illegal exportation of protected documents or trade secrets, you need the help of a competent federal criminal defense attorney immediately. Delaying representation will only assist the federal government in building their case against you. The consequences of a conviction for espionage, misappropriating trade secrets, violating U.S. trade embargos or the Arms Export Control Act, or engaging in economic or other espionage are severe. You need to protect your interests immediately. Call the federal criminal defense attorneys at Houston & Blanco today.

Selling Secrets to China Equals Spying, Jail and Heavy Fines

A Chinese-born US physicist has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting information to China related to NASA space launches. In addition, he pled guilty to offering bribes to Chinese officials to win a contract. The Defendant admitted to assisting China with developing fuel and chemical tanks crucial for launching space vehicles. Such assistance to a foreign government is in breach of U.S. arms export control laws. He admitted he helped China in the design and development of a cryogenic fueling system for space Read more

Economic Slump Leads to Increase in Bank Robberies In OC

The FBI Counts as many bank robberies so far this year as all of 2007. The downward trend in bank robberies is over. In 2007, Southern California had seen the lowest number of bank robberies for decades, at 339. This year the number of bank robberies had already hit 339 by the end of October. With the continuing trend of banks being robbed, and with two months left in 2008, that number is expected to be heavily surpassed.  Orange County alone is estimated to have seen Read more

Expungement May Bring Many Benefits After Conviction

If you have a criminal record, you may find a huge benefit in deleting that history and getting a fresh start. In California, it is possible to get many nonviolent criminal convictions removed from a criminal record by getting an “expungement”.

Expungement is a way to erase your prior criminal record. By following the provisions of California Penal Code 1203.4, a person may get a criminal conviction removed from the courts files Read more

Embezzlement on the Rise in Orange County

The former president of a manufacturing company has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for embezzling nearly $825,000. In addition to her federal prison sentence, the former executive was forced to sell her house and give up her company pension and personal retirement savings to satisfy her fine and help repay her debt.

California Penal Code 503(a) defines embezzlement as Read more