Under Wisconsin law, “No person shall acquire a financial transaction card … without the cardholder’s consent or, with knowledge that it has been so acquired, receive the financial transaction card with intent to use it or sell it or to transfer it to a person other than the issuer.”
In plain English, that means if a credit card isn’t yours and you don’t have permission to use it, but you do so anyway, you’re breaking the law. You’re also breaking the law if you sell someone else’s card or give it to another person.
This is a form of credit card fraud, and you could end up going to jail over it if the court convicts you.
So what should you do if you’re accused of credit card theft, credit card fraud or any other type of financial transaction crime?
What to Do if You’re Charged With Credit Card Fraud in Milwaukee
If the state of Wisconsin wants to charge you with credit card fraud, you’ll be arrested by police. You may be released and told to come back on a certain day at a certain time, or you might have to wait in jail until your court date. You will definitely have to appear in court where a judge will formally charge you. The appearance where the judge reads your charges is called an arraignment.
For most people, the best course of action is to bring a credit card fraud defense attorney to court for the arraignment. If you choose to do so, your lawyer will tell the court whether you plead not guilty, guilty or no contest – you don’t have to say anything. Your case, if you plead not guilty, will most likely go to trial; your attorney will be there to defend you at that time, too.
Related: What you need to know about credit card fraud defense
Do You Need a Credit Card Fraud Defense Attorney?
If you’ve been charged with credit card fraud, or if you’ve been arrested for it and you believe the state will officially charge you with a financial crime, you might need an attorney. Everyone in the United States has the right to legal defense.
We may be able to help you. Call us at 414-383-6700 to talk to an experienced criminal defense attorney in Milwaukee right now. We’ll review your case for free, answer your questions, and talk about possible outcomes – and if we end up working together, we’ll fight hard to get you the best possible outcome on your case.
