Federal Case Against Wilmington Woman Dropped in Dayton

When someone is charged with a federal white-collar crime, the consequences can be severe. However, in many cases, people who are charged with a white-collar crime are not guilty of the offense as charged. In some instances, people who face these charges were not even aware that what they did was illegal. In other instances, aggressive prosecutors can overreact and try to prove illegal actions that didn’t really occur. Although white-collar crimes are just as serious as any other type of crime, many situations are not always as they appear.

According to court documents, a U.S. District Court in Dayton recently dismissed the federal hacking charges against a former employee at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to reports, the 59-year-old woman was accused of trying to steal sensitive government property and of lying to government authorities about her alleged involvement. However, after her attorney met with the prosecutor, and the prosecutor filed to dismiss the case, the judge granted the dismissal.

The woman was originally charged with one count of theft of U.S. government property, after she reportedly used a co-workers password to view and download information about the United States National Inventory of Dams. She was also charged with two counts of accessing a protected U.S. government computer without authority to obtain information and five counts of making materially false statements to federal investigators. However, her lawyer argued that the government mistook this as some kind of espionage and that they overreached when they attempted to tie the woman to a colleague in China.

Although the case has now been dismissed, the woman has been hurt by the allegations. Not only did she lose her job with the NOAA, but also everything else in her life has been put on hold for six months. Her attorney also noted that she has used up her entire savings in order to pay the legal fees involved. The woman is now hopeful that she can work again and put the whole situation behind her.

As this case shows, just because someone is accused of a crime that does not make that person guilty. Even if prosecutors aggressively pursue a case that does not mean there really is sufficient grounds for the charges. However, it’s very important to seek the help of an attorney if you are facing any kind of criminal charges, including a white-collar crime. Don’t sit back and let authorities build a case against you. Fight for your rights and contact the VanNoy Firm today at 937-952-5043. You can also contact us online by clicking here.