What Are the Consequences of Credit Card Fraud in TN?

Credit card fraud is considered a form of theft under Tennessee criminal law. Therefore, if found guilty of such, you may be facing serious misdemeanor or felony charges. Read on to discover the consequences of credit card fraud and how one of the seasoned Montgomery County criminal defense lawyers at Fendley and Etson can help your fight against them.

What constitutes credit card fraud?

Namely, three common forms of credit card fraud made punishable by Tennessee criminal law are making false statements to obtain a credit card, credit card theft, and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Specifically, it is illegal to purposefully provide false information on a credit card application to obtain it. This may entail using a name or Social Security number that is not yours. At the same time, it is against the law to access another party’s credit card information without their consent via Internet hacking or another act of theft. Lastly, it is illegal to purposefully alter and spend above your credit card’s limit without the required authorization.

What are the consequences of credit card fraud in the state of Tennessee?

Tennessee criminal law sets punishments for credit card fraud based on the amount of money, goods, services, or items of value obtained through the criminal act. So depending on the specific circumstances surrounding your case, you may be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony. More specific criminal consequences you may be up against are as follows:

• Class A misdemeanor: if the value obtained through C.C. fraud was $500 or less.
  • A jail sentence of up to 11 months and 29 days.
  • A fine of up to $2,500.
• Class E felony: if the value obtained through C.C. fraud was $500 to $1,000.
  • A prison sentence of one to six years.
  • A fine of up to $3,000.
• Class D felony: if the value obtained through C.C. fraud was $1,000 to $10,000.
  • A prison sentence of two to 12 years.
  • A fine of up to $5,000.
• Class C felony: if the value obtained through C.C. fraud was $10,000 to $60,000.
  • A prison sentence of three to 15 years.
  • A fine of up to $10,000.
• Class B felony: if the value obtained through C.C. fraud was $60,000 or more.
  • A prison sentence of eight to 30 years.
  • A fine of up to $25,000.

This is not to mention the additional criminal consequences that may come with the discovery of aggravating factors. For example, you may be worse off if the Tennessee criminal court finds you guilty of committing credit card fraud as part of a criminal network.

In conclusion, if you are being accused of credit card fraud, arguably the most important action you must take is hiring one of the competent Montgomery County criminal defense lawyers. Our team at Fendley and Etson is looking forward to working with you.