Theft: Bribery

On Behalf of | Aug 6, 2016 | Theft

Bribery cases and other public corruptions cases such as theft can cause quite a commotion in the media and attract a lot of unwanted attention. Bribery is a type of theft crime and typically involves bribing public officials with large amounts of money or something of value in exchange for some sort of decision or action that will benefit the person making the bribe. There have been several different bribery cases that have gained major media attention over past years. One well-known case in Pennsylvania is known as “kids for cash”. Identity Theft  This case involved President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan receiving large amounts of money from Robert Mericle, builder of private for-profit youth detention centers, in return for imposing harsh penalties on juveniles in order to fill more beds at his detention centers. Ciavarella and Conahan were ultimately found guilty on several charges.

There are several different types of bribery. These types include bribery of a public official, bribing a witness, bank bribery, and bribery in sporting contents. Bribery of a public official is one of the most common bribery charges in America. A public official includes police officers, judges, politicians, and others. Bribing a witness is often accompanied by other criminal charges. One may bribe a witness in hopes of getting them not to testify in court. Bank bribery is when someone bribes someone who works at a bank, often times for loans. Bribery in sporting events occurs when someone fixes the outcome of a sporting event with the intention of making money or something of value from it.

Depending on the circumstances, bribery can either be a state or a federal offense. Bribery is a federal offense when it is the bribery of members of Congress, agents acting on behalf of the US government, members of a federal grand jury, federal employees, witness under oath in federal court, bank officials, and bribery relating to a sporting event that affects interstate commerce. Different types of bribery carry different penalties. read about biological evidence  Bribery of a federal government official, federal witness, or federal juror can cost you up to fifteen years and a fine as much as three times the amount of the initial bribery. Bribery of a bank official can get you up to thirty years in prison and a fine of a million dollars. Bribery of a sporting event can get you up to five years in prison. If you have been arrested or charged with bribery, it is important to contact an attorney in order to receive the best possible outcome for your case.​

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