Not long ago, a major story broke regarding the alleged fraud that dozens of parents purportedly committed to secure spots for their children at some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities. The parents, who include several popular actors and others with national notoriety, allegedly paid thousands of dollars to have their children’s exam scores graded and fixed by special proctors or to have their kids recognized as athletic recruits when in fact they did not play sports. The allegations have dominated the headlines of papers in Arkansas and throughout the nation.
Two of the charges that have been alleged by some of the parents are white collar crimes. Those charges are mail fraud and honest services fraud, two federal crimes that carry with them serious penalties. This post will briefly discuss the basics of these charges.
Mail fraud occurs when a person uses a delivery service to perpetrate a fraud. The delivery service does not have to be the United States Postal Service, as private carriers and couriers may also be considered delivery services for this purpose. Honest service fraud happens when a party allegedly deprives another of the right to use honest services. Both of these alleged crimes have many nuances that can and should be discussed with legal professionals.
There will undoubtedly be a great deal of information to come with regard to this nationally recognized story. Any form of fraud is serious and anyone who is charged with such a crime should consider seeking the counsel of an attorney who can help them protect their rights under the law.
