Denton Credit Card Abuse w/ Identity Theft Lawyer

Denton Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse… What Types Of Charges Am I Facing

Credit Card Abuse is the offense most associated with Identity Theft. It is a State Jail Felony and is punishable by not less than 180 days in State Jail Facility and not more than two years in a State Jail Facility. Probation can be a possibility. Below is the entry in the Texas Penal Code for Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse. The Credit Card Abuse offense is most often an allegation of using another person’s credit card without permission.

Sec. 32.31. CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD ABUSE.

Defending Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse
Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse charges can be successfully defended. A very simple, yet very effective, defense to Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse charges can be, “I did not intend to harm.” This, as you might guess, is known as a lack of intent. A related defense can be “I didn’t know I didn’t have permission.” Constitutional defenses also apply such as illegal stops, illegal searches and illegal arrests. Your Denton Credit Card Abuse attorney should be ready, willing, and able to fight even if all you want to do is plea. The Denton Credit Card Abuse attorney’s ability to fight will benefit you plea or trial.

What Are Identity Theft Crimes?

Identity Theft occurs when a victim’s identifying information is taken by another and that information is used to fraudulently obtain a benefit. In Texas, no single crime is specifically titled: Identity Theft.

  • Identity Theft is what happens to the victims
  • Identity-Theft related actions that result in crime go by different names

The crimes themselves are more-specific versions of Theft, in that, in each crime, some benefit was illegally obtained. The three most common Identity Theft Crimes:

  • Credit Card Abuse
  • Fraudulent Use
  • Possession of Identifying Information / Forgery

What Is Credit Card Abuse?

Credit Card Abuse is using another person’s credit card to make a purchase without the card owner’s permission.

  • Credit Card Abuse is a felony offense in Texas
  • Punishments can range from relatively short first-offender programs up to two years in a state jail facility

The proof in a Credit Card Abuse case is usually very straightforward:

  • The rightful credit card owner notices a fraudulent charge on their credit card statement
  • They call their credit card company and the police are involved
  • Police will go to the retailer listed on the credit card statement for the fraudulent charge
  • The statement will also have a date and time for when the credit card was used fraudulently
  • The retailer will be able to look up store video for the transaction involving the card; if the person in the video is not the cardholder, that person becomes the defendant

Do I Need an Attorney for a Credit Card Abuse Case?

A Credit Card Abuse charge is a big deal:

  • Many employers will not hire people with theft charges or felony charges
  • Credit Card Abuse is both a theft and a felony

The felony nature of the charge is also likely to affect a person’s ability to obtain credit or pass a background check for housing. The help of a Denton Credit Card Abuse attorney is a must in a situation as serious as this.

Is There Any Defense for a Credit Card Abuse Case?

Credit Card Abuse cases can be defended and we have done it successfully. A recent client was charged with purchasing a laptop computer from Best Buy using another person’s credit card without permission.

  • The police and prosecution claimed to have video and still photographs of the fraudulent transaction
  • Our attorney, Dan Peugh, in turn demanded all that information in a Discovery request

Dan reviewed the provided photos and videos very closely. The first thing that jumped out was that:

  • The client was not in the same clothing in all the images

That prompted a closer look at the properties of the photos. It was quickly learned that the various photos and videos were taken over several different dates most of which were not the alleged offense date. This was suspicious. Focus was then on the images and videos that were from the alleged offense date only. Piecing together the videos from the different areas of Best Buy on that one date, it became clear:

  • The client didn’t buy anything that day!

In the video, the client enters the store with a blue Best Buy bag in his hand that had a white box in it about the size of a computer software box. He had white receipt tape in the other hand. He went straight to customer service, talked to someone, and left his bag and box at customer service. The client is then seen on video going to a rack of software and picking up a sealed white box that looked exactly like the white box that he had walked in with. On the date of the alleged Credit Card Abuse:

  • The client had simply made a software exchange at Best Buy

There was absolutely no evidence that the client had used someone else’s credit card to purchase a laptop! A long email was sent to the prosecutor guiding him through the videos and photos and pointing him to the clips of the day in question. The prosecutor reluctantly acknowledged his problem.

  • That case ended very well for that client

What Makes the Peugh Law Firm Better Than Other Denton Attorneys or Law Firms When It Comes to Credit Card Abuse Cases?

The difference that Peugh Law Firm clients enjoy when they hire us over others is experience. Denton Credit Card Abuse Attorney Dan Peugh has been practicing in the field of Criminal Law in Denton County for twenty years. In that time, he has read thousands of police reports and watched thousands of videos. Dan has seen a thing or two in his twenty years. He knows things are not always as they seem when it comes to police reports and the prosecutors’ cases. We always request all the discovery that can be had in every case. Then, Attorney Dan Peugh goes over the discovery items personally. Discovery is NOT assigned to junior associates, paralegals, or legal assistants. Defending a serious criminal charge is attorney work and therefore, discovery deserves an attorney’s eye. The Peugh Law Firm in Denton operates according to the old saying, “there is no substitute for experience” and our clients benefit from that. If you have been arrested and charged with credit-card fraud in Denton, TX, contact our experienced Denton credit-card fraud attorney at (940) 304-0584 today to schedule a free consultation.

Daniel Peugh is a former Chief Prosecutor for the Denton County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. He has an insider’s knowledge of local Judges, Prosecutors, and Probation Officers. At The Peugh Law Firm we try cases and we get jury verdicts. Our ability to make our case before judges and juries benefits all of our clients at every level of representation. Most of our clients do not go to trial. Still, the plea bargain offers our clients receive are based in large part on what the prosecutors know we can do if the case goes to trial.

Contact Daniel K. Peugh, Attorney at Law today 940-566-0271

Contact attorney Daniel K. Peugh today at 940.566 0271
in Denton, Texas, for comprehensive criminal defense.

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Peugh to schedule your free consultation today.

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Do you need an Attorney For Clearing Criminal Records?

Are you in need of an Attorney that will help aid you in Clearing Criminal Records?

If so then you need to contact Peugh Law Firm. We specialize in Juvenile Defense, Juvenile Punishments, DWI, Drug Offense Assault Offense, Probation Violation, Theft/Fraud/Forgery, and Clearing Criminal Records.

Contact Peugh Law Firm today at (940) 566-0271 or visit our offices at 721 W Mulberry St, Denton, TX 76201.