Actress facing federal fraud charges

Missouri residents might be surprised to hear about federal fraud charges brought against reality star British Williams. The charges include misuse of a Social Security number, bank fraud, false statements to the IRS, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. What are fraud charges? Fraud charges happen when an individual is charged with trying to steal money or property by means of deception. Examples can include stealing someone’s identity, lying to the federal government or filing for funds that the individual has no right to. Williams is accused of using a fake Social Security number to get various lines of credits from banks and financial institutions in 2017. Williams is also accused of committing fraud by means of depositing stolen checks and claiming dependents that weren’t hers. Claiming false dependents meant that she got higher tax returns that she wasn’t entitled to. What are the potential penalties for a conviction? Williams will appear in federal court to face the several charges of federal fraud. When someone is convicted of federal fraud charges such as identity theft or tax fraud, they’re often fined a minimum amount or sentenced to serve a specific time in prison. For example, some of the charges brought against Williams are bank and wire fraud. Bank fraud faces a fine of $1 million or a prison sentence of up to 30 years. Wire fraud has a maximum prison sentence of up to 20 years, which is on par for other white-collar offenses of that nature. People who are charged with some sort of federal fraud might be able to negotiate a plea bargain, but there are often long-term consequences for being convicted of crimes involving financial deception. Williams has not been convicted but is making appearances in federal court. It’s unsure how long her trial will take or whether she will accept a plea bargain instead of going through a formal trial.