Internet Crimes

Defending 21st Century Charges: Internet Crime

The Internet and the worldwide web are the newest forums for human interaction, the wave of the future. Communication has moved from face to face and print to the virtual world. This new forum for commerce and the exchange of ideas is also a new forum for crime.

Leveling the Playing Field on Behalf of the Accused

Raymond D. Sprowls, attorney at law, is well versed in the discrete body of law that is used to prosecute crimes committed in the virtual world. As a former New York City prosecutor, he saw the growth of Internet crime and subsequent development of laws and law enforcement efforts designed to control and punish computer crimes. As a criminal defense attorney, he works on behalf of those accused of wrongdoing in the virtual world.

Because of the aggressive manner in which Internet crimes are investigated and pursued, innocent people can find themselves facing serious charges, including:

Identity theft: ID theft typically involves use of electronic hardware or software to obtain another's personal information.
Possession and dissemination of child pornography: Child porn can end up on your computer without you even realizing it. Those e-mail chains that get forwarded throughout the virtual word may contain child pornography.
Stalking and harassment: Sending harassing e-mails or using a social networking site to bully or harass another person can result in criminal charges.
Criminal impersonation: Mr. Sprowls defends clients charged with posing as another person online and then committing a criminal act.
Credit card skimming & phishing: The government has special law enforcement units dedicated to investigating and prosecuting those who obtain credit card numbers or other personal information online.

Legal Knowledge, Technical Savvy

If you are facing prosecution for any type of Internet crime, you need an attorney with the legal experience and technical knowledge required to address these complex cases. To schedule a consultation, please contact criminal defense lawyer Raymond D. Sprowls. He represents clients throughout New York's Hudson Valley.

Recent Case Results

November, 2009:
Two men were arrested in a car after police claimed they had seen the driver (Mr. Sprowls’ client) throw a quantity of cocaine out the window and on to a city street. At a pre-trial suppression hearing, Mr. Sprowls successfully argued to the judge that the evidence should be suppressed. Once the evidence was suppressed, the D.A. had no choice but to dismiss all criminal charges. The defendant ended up pleading guilty to a speeding ticket!
October, 2009:
A few months after Mr. Sprowls’ client was arrested during the execution of a search warrant, Mr. Sprowls got the felony charges dismissed. The defendant had been found inside an apartment with prescription pills, marijuana, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia in the room next to where the defendant was standing. Mr. Sprowls used his extensive knowledge of search and seizure law and the facts of the case to convince the D.A. that the case could not be proven against his client and persuaded the prosecutor to dismiss the charges.
August, 2009:
The police arrested two boys and charged them with felony Criminal Mischief, claiming the boys had caused damage in excess of $500.00 to a local municipal park. The boys denied the charges. The end result? Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed in exchange for the boys’ promise each pay only $100.00. The moral of the story? Never accept the word of the police as truth -- they lie and exaggerate just as much as anyone else.
August, 2008
Two men were arrested and charged with Burglary in the Third Degree, a Class D felony. Mr. Sprowls' client had just finished serving 22 years in state prison and was on parole.

Within five weeks of the defendant's arraignment, Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed and the defendant is a free man.
March, 2008:
A high school-aged boy and four of his friends were arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including Burglary in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. If convicted of the Burglary Charge as an adult, Mr. Sprowls’ client could have been sentenced to anywhere between 5 and 25 years in state prison. In October, 2008, after extensive investigation and interviews with witnesses, Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed and his client’s bright future remained intact.
February, 2008
Five people were arrested in a commercial establishment during the execution of a search warrant. The store was a "weed spot" and had been selling to a steady stream of customers for months.

Mr. Sprowls' client was in the common area of the store when the police entered and no marijuana was found on his person.

Within a month of his arrest, Mr. Sprowls got the case against his client dismissed.
December, 2007
Two men were arrested in the City of Newburgh and charged with multiple Class D Felonies, including Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree. Mr. Sprowls' client had a lengthy criminal record going back over thirty years with a prior felony conviction. The D.A. was out for blood and insisted that the two men would go to state prison for these crimes.

Of course, Mr. Sprowls could represent only one of the defendants. After investigating the case and researching the applicable law, Mr. Sprowls advised his client to refuse all plea offers and to remain ready for trial.

The co-defendant was subsequently indicted and his case was transferred to County Court where he is looking at a state prison sentence.

Mr. Sprowls' client is now a free man. Because Mr. Sprowls knew the law and the facts of the case, all of the charges were dismissed and the defendant is home with his family.