Boston Passport Fraud Attorney

Passport fraud is defined as when an individual fraudulently applies for, uses, or possesses a passport of any nation. Common examples of passport fraud are when:

• a person applies for a passport using false documentation; or
• when a person possesses or uses a passport that was not issued to her/him but was purposefully altered to appear as if it had been.

Passport fraud often occurs when people try to alter their identities and do so to hide their movements and criminal activities.

What are the Penalties for Passport Fraud in Massachusetts?

Unfortunately, the slightest misstep and/or omission in filling out citizenship/naturalization and/or passport applications can trigger criminal charges; and disqualifying questions about criminal activity can be confusing and misleading. If you are accused of passport fraud, it is a serious crime in the eyes of the federal government and you could be facing a lengthy prison sentence. Did you know that “passport fraud is a federal felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, 15 years if the offense is committed in relation to narcotics trafficking, and 20 years if related to acts of international terrorism,” according to the US government guidelines?

It is best to know your rights if you are accused of this crime, and in order to do so, you must hire a white collar crime lawyer who has years of experience. Brad Bailey, a Massachusetts White Collar Crimes Super Lawyer, is a passport fraud lawyer who has recently defended a variety of passport/immigration fraud charges in United States v. Palmer-Andrade and related charges in United Sates v Chowdhury, a student loan fraud case, with passport/immigration fraud allegations. Brad Bailey understands that his extensive trial experience is sometimes not enough to ensure successful outcomes; creativity and outside-the-box thinking must also often be utilized these in challenging and unique cases. If facing passport/immigration/student loan fraud charges contact Brad Bailey NOW, and make an appointment for a confidential consultation.

False Statement in Application for United States Passport

It is against federal law to make a false statement in a passport application. For you to be found guilty of this crime the government must prove each of these things beyond a reasonable doubt:

A statement is “false” if it was untrue when made.

A false statement is made “willfully and knowingly” if you acted voluntarily, not by mistake or accident, and knew that the statement was false or demonstrated a reckless disregard for the truth with a conscious purpose to avoid learning the truth.

1. That you willfully and knowingly made a false statement in an application for a United States passport.
2. That you made the false statement for the purpose of causing issuance of a passport for your own use or for the use of another person.