The time that you should contact a local food stamp fraud attorney is right after you receive any type of correspondence that you are currently being investigated for food stamp fraud. This is a very serious offense, you must be careful because if you simply push this issue off to the side and deal with it when you want, you run the risk of missing the deadline and facing serious consequences. The courts will then rule in their favor and the penalty is much more severe than you might imagine.
Understanding What Happened in Your Case
The reason that you received that contact from the food stamp investigator is because they had good reason to open a claim against you. Perhaps you were reported anonymously, maybe your employer contacted the office, or maybe the computer system triggered an alert because a red flag was raised. The reasons are many, from filing a false mailing address, neglecting to include assets on your application, or claiming less income than that was actually earned. In any event, the food stamp fraud attorney is you best bet for getting this issued addressed in a timely manner for the court.
Punishments Can Be Quite Severe
The punishment if found guilty or if you neglect to respond can be very significant. On the low end, you might only lose your benefits or have the benefits lowered to match your income. On the high end, you could facing jail time for fraud, and without the right food stamp fraud attorney, you do not stand a chance in pleading your case with a judge. If you want to be able to enjoy these benefits, your food stamp fraud lawyer must skillfully convince a judge this was a one time mistake that was not going to occur again.