A woman was recently charged with fraud for allegedly using the social security numbers of elderly individuals to file false unemployment claims. The accused, Dena Peterman, allegedly lured elderly people with promises of movie roles in remakes of famous 80s films such as “Cocoon” and “On Golden Pond”. She is facing 8 counts of conspiracy to commit unemployment insurance fraud and 6 counts of mail fraud along with other accused.
Alleged Scheme
Peterman’s scheme allegedly involved the creation of movie companies, the submission of wage information and filing of unemployment insurance claims in their names. Prosecutors claim that the film productions were bogus and were a means to obtain the social security numbers and other important personal information of more than a dozen senior citizens. The state employment development department would then provide the claimed unemployment benefits in the form of debit cards that would be sent through the mail using addresses allegedly controlled by Peterman and her alleged cohorts.
Peterman was arrested and, if convicted of all fraud charges against her, may spend more than 25 years in federal prison.
In the state of California and elsewhere in the United States, fraud is a white collar crime that requires long hours of examination and analysis of voluminous files and huge amounts of information. Fraud involves a wide range of offenses such as embezzlement, Ponzi scheme, health insurance fraud, and mail fraud.
Criminal Defenses Against Fraud Charges
If you are charged with fraud or other white collar crime, certain defenses may be available to you depending on the circumstances of your situation. As a rule, the prosecution has the duty to prove every element of the alleged crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
You may also be entitled to criminal defenses arising from the manner in which the arrest was performed, evidence was obtained, and witnesses were interviewed.
Your criminal defense attorney can help you by examining and weighing all the evidence against you, conducting an exhaustive independent investigation, determine available defenses in your situation, and implementing the appropriate defense strategy in your case.
In Los Angeles, California, the criminal lawyers of Gurovich, Berk & Associates have over 35 years of combined experience in criminal defense, helping clients obtain dismissals of their charges, reduced charges and corresponding penalties, and participating in favorable plea bargaining.
We also handle other types of criminal charges such as DUI/DWI, sex crimes, drug crimes, and gun crimes. We welcome your call today at (213) 385-1555 to schedule a free initial consultation.