Identity theft penalties for committing a crime in Michigan may include restitution, incarceration and fines. Michigan has taken steps to protect consumers from identity theft. The seriousness of the penalties will depend on the nature of the crime including the value of any property misappropriated and other factors.
Michigan Identity Theft Penalties
If you are convicted of identity theft in Michigan, you may be required to pay a fine of up to $25,000 and spend up to five years in prison. Michigan has enacted the Identity Theft Protection Act to protect consumers from the snares of identity theft. This law imposes criminal consequences and provides avenues for citizens to protect themselves from identity theft and better ways to respond when identity theft occurs.The recently enacted law in Michigan extended the statute of limitations for prosecuting identity theft cases to six years. That means you could be held accountable for past crimes for a longer period. In addition to criminal charges a victim or the state can bring against you, a victim or multiple victims may bring civil charges against you as well. Civil charges are usually brought to seek monetary damages while criminal charges focus mostly on punishing an individual for wrongdoing. Nonetheless, fines and restitution available in the criminal justice system can cover money damages as well.
Identity theft is considered a white collar crime, but do not let that fool you. The penalties can involve a felony conviction, and charges should not be taken lightly. Identity theft charges may stem from a variety of illegal and fraudulent activity, including but not limited to:
- Misuse of another person's credit cards;
- Forging a document or check of another person without permission for wrongful use;
- Misuse of another person's social security number or other identifying information;
- Misuse of another person's name to pretend to be that person; and
- Any other fraudulent activity that damages another person intentionally for personal gain.
Getting Legal Advice
No matter whether you have intentionally broken the law, accidentally broken the law or are innocent of the charges against you, identity theft is a serious crime under Michigan law, and you should respond to the charges against you by contacting an experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney. An attorney will help you assess the facts of your case, look for viable defenses and negotiate with the prosecutor on your behalf.
