Authorities accused a family of unemployment fraud this month. Five members
of a New Jersey family have been charged with various fraud charges which
could carry decade long sentences if convicted.

Investigators say the family committed fraud to steal nearly $2 million
from the state’s unemployment benefit fund. Because of the length
of potential prison sentences and that the accused fraud is against the
government, the charges against the family members are very serious.

Many times when people are accused of fraud against the government, they
face increased and sometimes unfair scrutiny because the public might
believe they stole from taxpayers. Many times news stories involving crimes
only use sources that are publicly available such as government reports
or police reports. This means the news stories leave out any potential
explanation from the accused.

It might be wise for people who are charged with a fraud related crime
to seek out the help of a New Jersey criminal defense attorney. When a
person is charged along with other individuals in a potentially related
situation, an attorney can help determine why the person is being charged
with the specific crime, and make sure the evidence gathered against the
person was gathered legally.

Just because a person is accused of a crime doesn’t mean their rights
are taken from them. They have rights to a fair trial and public officials
investigating the alleged crimes need to make sure they aren’t overstepping
constitutional boundaries that are put in place to protect the accused
from unfair treatment.

Source: NJToday.net, “Newark Family Charged With Leading $2 Million Unemployment Fraud Schemes,” March 9, 2012