I am trying to find an article I once saw online. I thought I had saved it but I cannot find it in my computer and I have been trying to find it online again but I can’t and it’s driving me crazy.
It was an article about lying to the federal government. Maybe specifically mentioning 18 USC Sec. 1001. I think it was published by a law firm.
It said this was a catch-all thing where they could easily get you. It did not have to be under oath. It did not have to be directly.
It gave several examples. You fill in a form for your employer and your employer submits it to the feds as part of necessary information for a contract and they can nail you for lying to the feds.
Amother one was that you are working for someone who is doing something slightly illegal. You look the other way and soon leave that job. Later the feds come to question you and ask something like if you have ever been an accessory to a crime. If you say no you have lied and you are in trouble.
The point of the article was that the charge of lying to the feds is very easy to fall into and that the consequences and penalties can be much greater than the principal misdeed being investigated. Maybe you lie regarding some minor thing which could only get you a very light penalty but the lie will get you into much deeper trouble.
The lie did not have to be substantial or have any implications. Just the fact that it was a lie, no matter how small or irrelevant, was enough.
It recommended not making any statements to the police except that you wanted to talk to an attorney.
I think it was published by a law firm.
I am going nuts trying to find it. It may even be in my computer but I have no idea why I can’t find it.
My google-fu must be very weak because I have spent quite some time searching and I get nothing.
If you have access to LexisNexis or WestLaw, they should have it. If not, check with your local city or county law library, and they can probably find it for you. Any info you can provide on title, author, publisher, publication date (or range), etc., will help narrow the search and make it more likely they can help you.
If all else fails, PM me, and I’ll see what I can find.
It was on the Internet and I believe it was a law firm. Just sort of general article with some advice (call us!). I found it very interesting at the time and I generally save such things so it might be in my computer but searches for key words have turned up nothing. Googling has also turned up nothing. My guess is that it is still online somewhere. I just can’t think what any more combinations of words I can search for.
This sounds exactly like the long video that was linked to here in a recent thread on whether people should talk to the police. (Search isn’t working for me at the moment so I can’t find it.)
The video was in 2 parts. The first was a law professor speaking for about 30 minutes and saying exactly the things in your OP, ie never, ever talk to the police or the Feds without a lawyer present. He showed how even telling the truth could land you in trouble, even if you were completely innocent. The second part was a policeman who confirmed everything the prof said.
It sounds exactly like your article, perhaps the video and article are connected.
I remember seeing those videos but those were part of a law class and were generally about not incriminating yourself.
The article I am looking for was very specific about being charged with lying to the feds based on a specific article and it was posted at the web site of a law firm (if I am not misremembering).
Nope. I had found that one in my searches. It is kind of similar though. Oh well. I suppose there is a chance it might not be online any longer. There’s still a small chance I’ll find it in my computer sometime when I’m looking for something else.
You are very right. I tend to put in as many words as I can so I can narrow down the results. Sometimes you have to take a different approach. Thanks again.