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What are the elements of a federal bribery charge?

by | Oct 6, 2017 | White Collar Crimes |

Bribery is a serious criminal charge, one that can carry significant jail time as well as monetary penalties. If you face bribery charges, you need to act quickly to preserve your rights and privileges by fighting the charges with everything you have available. This is particularly true if you face federal bribery charges. Failing to defend yourself against federal bribery charges could mean that you spend the rest of your life very differently than you do now.

Federal bribery charges involve a number of particular elements the government uses to build a case before it brings charges against someone.

  • The individual offered a bribe is a public official of some sort, which may even include relatively low-level federal government employees.
  • The party charged with bribery offered the public official something valuable
  • The offer is meant to influence some official act
  • The public official offered the bribe has the power the influence the official
  • The party charged with bribery established some specific intended result of the bribe

In general, the prosecution must demonstrate convincingly that the payment directly influenced the official act. While federal charges are rarely brought against a party without a solid case already built, there are still ways to fight these charges if you begin building your defense as soon as possible.

If you find yourself facing these charges, you must act quickly and carefully to protect yourself. Remain calm and be intentional about how you behave so that you do not appear guilty. Often, it is the cover-up rather than the original incident that leads to a conviction.

An experienced defense attorney who understands how to defend against white-collar accusations can guide you as you examine your case. Together, you can spot weaknesses in the prosecution’s case or other defenses you can use to protect your rights and your future.

Source: FindLaw, “Bribery,” accessed Oct. 06, 2017