Build the sequence of events
The order of a purchase, approval, delivery, invoice, and payment can change how the transaction is understood. We look for the records created at each stage, including communications that preceded the alleged loss.
Fort Lauderdale · Criminal Defense
Fort Lauderdale Fraud & White-Collar Defense Lawyer
Find the facts behind the financial accusation.
A disputed payment or missing deposit can turn your working life upside down. Miller & Jacobs helps people facing fraud allegations in Fort Lauderdale examine the records, understand their individual exposure, and respond with a plan.
Free consultation with a clear discussion of the next step.
Trace the transactions. Identify the evidence. Protect your choices.
Broward Defense
Serving Fort Lauderdale from our Pompano Beach office
Former Prosecutors
Both partners previously served as Assistant State Attorneys
230+ Combined Trials
Firm-reported jury trials across both partners' careers
Mark or Rick
A partner handles each accepted matter
The evidence should tell a complete story
Reconstruct the transaction before accepting the accusation.
A ledger can identify a payment without establishing why it was made or who authorized it. A defense review brings the surrounding records into the same timeline as the disputed money.
Start by identifying which transaction is questioned, your role at that time, and where the original records remain. You do not need to sort every document before asking for help.
Review the allegation with usSeparate access from participation
A shared login or authority to sign checks does not identify every action a person took. Access logs, approval records, device information, and witness accounts can help test who entered, changed, or authorized a transaction.
Examine the accounting assumptions
An investigator’s total may combine several transactions or rely on incomplete records. We examine the source figures, dates, alleged recipients, and treatment of returns or credits. Their legal effect depends on the charged offense and the facts.
Find records outside the accusation
A customer’s receipt, a vendor’s delivery record, or a bank’s timestamp may answer a question that internal bookkeeping leaves open. Counsel can identify lawful ways to obtain missing material and whether financial or digital analysis would help.
Preserve what exists. Keep original messages and files intact. Do not backdate an explanation, alter entries, delete an account, or copy employer records you are not entitled to take. Tell counsel where relevant material may be found.
What the charge actually requires
The offense determines which facts the State must prove.
“White-collar crime” describes a group of allegations. It does not supply a single set of elements or a single penalty. Review begins with the statute, charging language, and conduct attributed to you.
A claimed scheme to obtain property
Florida Statute 817.034 addresses organized fraud and communications fraud. Organized fraud requires a scheme to defraud and obtaining property through it. Amounts from one scheme are aggregated; the alleged communications and intent also matter to the separate communications offense.
Use of another person’s information
Section 817.568 covers criminal use of personal identifying information. The particular subsection controls. Questions may include authorization, consent, fraudulent use, the people affected, and the evidence connecting you to the information.
An allegedly false document
A forgery allegation requires attention to the document itself and the accused person’s intent. Section 831.01 addresses specified falsely made or altered documents with intent to injure or defraud. A disputed signature deserves examination, not an assumption about who created it.
An allegation that money was taken
Where ownership, permission, or an alleged taking is disputed,
Fort Lauderdale theft defense
may be relevant alongside the fraud analysis. The precise charging decisions shape the defense.
Confirm the agency and court
Federal involvement requires a separate discussion about jurisdiction and representation. Identify any federal agency, subpoena, or case number at the first call so we can confirm whether the firm can handle the matter. A local business address alone does not answer that question.
Your life beyond the paperwork
When your honesty is questioned, it can be hard to focus on anything else. You deserve a conversation that takes both the allegation and your daily responsibilities seriously.
We can discuss the immediate legal decisions alongside your concerns about family, work, and the people who depend on you.
Respond to the actual request
An interview, a subpoena, and an arrest need different responses.
The next deadline may arrive before anyone has explained the case to you. Keep the complete notice or caller information so counsel can identify what is required and what is voluntary.
A request for your account of events
Ask for the investigator’s name and agency, then speak with a defense lawyer before agreeing to a voluntary interview. A quick explanation can introduce details you have not checked against the records. Do not guess, mislead, or ask others to coordinate their accounts.
A demand for documents
Preserve the demand and its attachments. Legal review should address its scope, deadline, and any available objections. Do not ignore a subpoena or court order, obstruct a lawful search, or assume that an informal records request has the same effect.
A filed case or release restriction
Court dates and release conditions require immediate attention. Restrictions on contact, travel, or access to a business may affect ordinary work. Follow the current conditions while counsel reviews whether a change can be requested.
For connected charges and court issues, our
Fort Lauderdale criminal defense overview
explains the broader steps in a case.
Decisions you can understand
Connect each defense decision to the evidence.
A useful strategy explains both the available choices and the information still needed. We work through those questions with you as the investigation or prosecution develops.
The sequence and available options depend on the case.
01
Protect the information and deadlines
Identify records at risk of routine deletion, pending demands, and court obligations. Counsel can discuss appropriate preservation steps and communications without changing the underlying evidence.
02
Test the government’s explanation
Compare the alleged deception with the documents, access history, and witness accounts. We examine both evidence that supports your position and facts that may create difficulty, so advice rests on the whole record.
03
Evaluate challenges and negotiations
Depending on the evidence, issues may concern how records were obtained, whether they support the elements, or whether the claimed amount is accurate. We explain potential motions and any proposed resolution without promising dismissal or a particular sentence.
04
Account for the lasting obligations
Before a decision, discuss restitution, probation terms, employment concerns, and any separate licensing or civil matter. Repayment or a private settlement does not by itself require prosecutors to close a criminal case.
Make the first call manageable
Tell us what is being questioned and what happens next.
You can begin with the transaction, the person who contacted you, and any deadline. We will discuss whether we can represent you, what needs attention first, and how to provide records securely if a review is needed.
The consultation is free. Representation terms and costs are discussed before you decide to hire the firm.
Have these details available
The name of the agency, employer, or person raising the concern
The full notice, case number, and any stated response date
The accounts or transactions involved and where records are kept
Any current release conditions or urgent work-related restriction
The people responsible for the defense
Work directly with a Miller & Jacobs partner.
For cases the firm accepts, Mr. Miller or Mr. Jacobs handles the defense. Our office is at 1600 S. Federal Highway, Suite 1101, Pompano Beach. We serve people facing criminal matters in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere in Broward County.
Partner
Mark J. Miller
A former Assistant State Attorney and Florida Bar member since 1995. His legal career includes more than 70 jury trials to verdict.
Meet Mark Miller
Partner
Rick S. Jacobs
A former Assistant State Attorney and Florida Bar member since 1995. His legal career includes more than 160 jury trials to verdict.
Meet Rick JacobsThe partners’ trial figures describe their full careers, not fraud-specific results. Staff and outside professionals may assist as needed while the responsible partner directs the case.
Questions about your own exposure
Clarify your position before making assumptions.
Financial allegations can involve several people with different interests. These questions help identify what needs individual legal review.
Does the company’s lawyer represent me personally?
Ask the lawyer whom they represent. Counsel retained by a company may represent the business rather than every employee or owner. Before sharing your account, clarify the relationship and whether you need independent criminal defense advice.
Can I get advice if I have not been arrested?
Yes. A records demand, investigator’s call, or internal complaint may justify advice before an arrest. Counsel can help identify the request, preservation needs, and any deadline. An investigation does not necessarily mean that charges will be filed.
What if several people used the same account?
A shared account is one part of the evidence, not a complete account of responsibility. Investigators may examine permissions, device records, timestamps, messages, and conduct. Preserve the available information and explain who had access without speculating about another person’s actions.
How are multiple transactions counted in organized fraud?
Florida’s organized fraud statute combines property obtained through one scheme. Its base offense levels are third degree below $20,000, second degree from $20,000 to below $50,000, and first degree at $50,000 or more. Enhancements may apply. Counsel should review both the grouping of transactions and the underlying figures.
Should I give my employer a written statement?
Discuss the request with counsel first, especially if an internal inquiry overlaps a criminal investigation. Employment obligations and criminal-defense concerns may differ. Do not lie, destroy records, pressure witnesses, or assume an employer’s promise resolves the criminal issue.
What should I have ready for the first consultation?
Bring the complete request or charging papers and the next known deadline. A list of relevant accounts and records can help without requiring an immediate transfer of sensitive files. For a filed Broward case, confirm the location in your notice and docket;
official court location information is available here
.
Issues that may need a separate review
Address the connected parts of the case.
Theft and ownership
Review permission, possession, and the alleged taking when those issues are charged.
Read about theft allegationsCustody and release
Resolve an active warrant or bond concern while the financial evidence is reviewed.
Review warrants and bondThe felony case
Understand the court decisions that accompany a serious criminal accusation.
See felony defense information