Recently, CBS News published an article on their website about a California man who had a $10,000 watch stolen from him. For a year afterwards, he regularly looked through eBay and other sites in the hopes of spotting it. On the day he found it, he notified police, who wound up making an arrest after…
Many people assume that credit card fraud only happens among strangers. Someone gets a hold of another person’s information and opens one or more credit cards by forging his or her signature. The defrauded person has no idea this happened until he or she receive a bill in the mail. In tough economic times, people…
It is scary and unsettling for someone to accuse you of a crime as serious as embezzlement. While those feelings are understandable, it doesn’t mean that you are guilty. You may be the victim of someone who is trying to set you up or even a simple misunderstanding. What Constitutes Embezzlement Under California Law? California…
This past Election Day, California voters passed a new law, Proposition 47, which will make some important changes to how drug possession and certain other crimes will be penalized by the criminal justice system. What are some of the changes that the law introduces? Due to Proposition 47, nonviolent drug possession for personal use will…
Detectives in Lake Elsinore recently announced that they had concluded a three-year investigation by arresting a man whom they allege ran an extensive and sophisticated home loan modification fraud operation. Police think the 34-year-old man ran a business called First Universal Solutions that he used as front to take more than $50,000 from 16 homeowners…
Burglary is a common crime in California. Between 2001 and 2006, there were over 200,000 burglaries each year in the state. And yet it’s often misunderstood, with people not being sure what constitutes burglary and possibly confusing it with other crimes such as robbery. The following are four things you might not know about burglary:…
California is in many ways a unique state, though sometimes it gets highlighted in the news for less-than-positive reasons. One recent example was a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau on auto theft around the US. As it turns out, for 2013, California had nine of the top 10 cities with the highest rates…
Let’s say as you’re going about your business, you find someone’s wallet on the ground. Or maybe it’s an iPhone, or a piece of jewelry. What would happen if you pick it up and take it with you, and the police later find it in your possession? Section 485 of the California Penal Code states…
When we hear or read about a robbery that took place, the scenario that most often comes to mind is that of a stranger taking the property of another by force of fear. Although that often happens, it is not always the case. According to news sources, a 22-year-old man was arrested for robbery recently…
Six Inland Empire residents have been arrested after authorities came to believe that they participated in a scheme to defraud elderly people in Nebraska and Texas out of thousands of dollars. According to the Press Enterprise, the alleged swindlers would call elderly people and pretend to be that person’s grandchild. The scam artist would have…
An employee of a charity that helps disabled people was recently accused of embezzlement. Among the charges he now faces are 35 counts of elder theft. What does it mean to perpetrate elder theft? California Penal Code 368 covers different types of abuse against adults who are classified as dependents or as elderly (at least…
It’s a story that seems ripped straight from Grand Theft Auto: $200,000 race car that was undergoing renovations has been stolen, according to San Bernardino police. The Press Enterprise reports that the car, a 2008 Dodge Charger, was being souped-up so that it could go a top speed of 200 mph and was undergoing work…
If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges in Southwest Riverside County, time is critical. Contact the Law Office of Nic Cocis today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
