Knoxville Bribery Lawyer
Committed to Achieving Positive Outcomes
Bribing a public servant or accepting a bribe as a public servant is a
white collar crime that can carry a heavy penalty. Bribery is accepting
anything of value to influence an official or employee with such things
as gifts, money, favorable treatment, and even property. To fight such
charges, retain the services of a skilled Knoxville criminal defense attorney.
A person is guilty bribing a public servant if they offer, confer, or agree
to confer any sort of benefit on a public servant, such as a police officer
or politician. The same applies to any public servant who accepts a bribe
from an individual or corporate entity.
Specific examples of bribery include:
- Giving a health inspector money to ignore a violation
- Making payments to a county officer's re-election bid in exchange for
a county business contract
- Offering to reward a legislator with an all-expenses paid vacation for
their vote
- A judge requesting a job for their child in exchange for ruling a particular
way in a case
Penalties for Bribery Crimes
While there is no federal law against commercial bribery, most U.S. states
have laws against commercial or private bribery. Private bribery is essentially
the same, except for it involves a private businessperson or employee.
Penalties for federal bribery convictions are severe—up to $10,000
for civil fines, $250,000 for criminal, and up to 5 years of prison time
may be enforced. Corporate entities are also punished harshly, with up
to $10,000 in civil fines and up to $2 million in criminal fines.
The Law Office of Joseph A. Fanduzz can offer you experienced and trustworthy
defense if you have been arrested on bribery charges. Our Knoxville criminal
defense attorney can defend you in court to secure your freedom!
We Offer a Strong Defense to Our Clients
When you come to us, we will carefully review your case to determine the
best possible defense. For example, we may be able to prove that a gift
was given or offered to the public official did not involve any wagering
and therefore legally acceptable. It can also be argued that the benefit
in question was not substantial enough to risk undermining the public
office. Also, a gift to a political campaign may be instead described
as a normal contribution rather than a bribe.
Call our defense firm as soon as possible so we can begin work on your defense strategy!