Phoenix Civil and Criminal Forfeiture Attorney
What happens if you’re accused of a serious offense, such as mortgage fraud, drug distribution or health care fraud? Most people are aware these types of charges carry serious consequences that often include hefty fines and significant jail time, but did you know that if you are charged with these and other serious offenses, you could actually lose all of your property? The government, both state and federal, can confiscate your private property, including bank accounts, other financial assets, houses, vehicles and much more, leaving you with no way to pay for the representation you need to fight the charges in court. If you are wrongly accused, this can be a major problem. You need to be able ot work with a Phoenix civil and criminal forfeiture attorney. It’s important to act quickly to ensure everything is done within the required time. The good news is they can often help you with your case, even if you don’t have the means to pay at the current time because all your assets have been seized.
What Can Be Seized and Why
First and foremost, it’s important to understand what property can be seized and why. In general, anything you own can be removed from your possession if you are accused of a crime that is associated with financial gains, such as drug distribution and white collar crimes. Your assets and other property is likely to be seized if the property or assets are allegedly obtained from the money that came in from committing said crime or if the property is suspected to have been used to commit the crime, such as a car to drive to and from locations or a home from which you did your business. Civil cases are often treated more lightly than criminal cases.
Civil Asset Forfeiture
More About the Process
Once your property has been seized, it’s up to the state to bring forth the forfeiture action. However, they have seven years to do so. You have any time up until the point of forfeiture to demand your property is returned to you. If you haven’t been charged with a crime associated with the seizure, you have every right to demand the return of your property. In general, unless you aren’t facing charges, the request for the return of property will be ignored, but it can be an important piece of your case in the future, so it’s best to ask regardless.