- Divorce
- Child Custody and Visitation
- Criminal DefenseIf you are arrested or under investigation, you need the experience and skill of a criminal defense team in a law firm that has been consistently described as one of the best in the field. With almost 30 years of legal experience, over 1,000 federal and state criminal cases under our belt, and 24/7 availability, we provide the time and resources you need to preserve your freedom. Learn More
- Sex CrimesChild pornography statutes make it unlawful to possess, intentionally view or transmit material depicting sexual conduct by a child. In Florida, possession of three or more photographs of a child engaged in sexual conduct can be used as evidence of intent to transmit the material. Both federal and Florida law include heavy fines and severe criminal penalties, including potential mandatory/minimum sentences of up to 25 years and maximum potential sentences of up to life. Mr. Petruzzi has represented numerous individuals charged with, or under investigation for, child pornography offenses by both federal and state authorities. His experience and knowledge serve as an invaluable asset to his clients.
- FraudMail fraud involves the use of post offices or other mailing matters to engage in a scheme to defraud others by obtaining property under false promises. Both federal and Florida law include heavy fines and severe criminal penalties, including potential mandatory/minimum sentences of up to 25 years and maximum potential sentences of up to life. Mr. Petruzzi has represented numerous individuals charged with, or under investigation for, mail fraud offenses by both Federal and State authorities. His experience and knowledge serve as an invaluable asset to his clients.
- RobberyDuring his association with Mr. Black, Mr. Petruzzi represented clients in both Federal and State court charged with a variety of offenses including complex white collar crimes, major narcotics and money laundering crimes, racketeering and wire fraud offenses. Since starting his own criminal defense law firm in January of 1999, Mr. Petruzzi's criminal defense practice has included virtually every conceivable type of criminal matter including narcotics offenses (involving both traditional and synthetic drugs), fraud and theft offenses, money laundering, murder (death penalty and non-death penalty), arson, assault, battery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, battery of law enforcement officers, kidnapping, robbery, stalking, racketeering (RICO), tax fraud, mortgage fraud, Medicare fraud, Ponzi schemes, Medicaid fraud, wire fraud, computer crimes, firearms offenses, sex crimes, white collar crimes, and countless other felonies and misdemeanors.
- BurglaryNo matter the type of criminal offense you have been accused of committing, there will be a series of follow-up investigations that occur. For crimes that have taken place in the city of Miami, the Miami Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Section is responsible for examining the scene of the alleged offense, collecting evidence, identifying any potential offenders and then preparing the case for trial. There are specific investigators within this unit for more serious crimes including auto theft, burglary, sexual assault, domestic violence and homicide.
- White Collar CrimesAt the Law Offices of Paul D. Petruzzi, P.A. we have handled many white collar crime cases. Call us today so that we can evaluate your case.
- Theft
- MisdemeanorsComputer hacking can be misdemeanor or a felony under both state and federal law. Computer hacking is when one seeks and exploits weaknesses in a computer system or computer network with goals such as profit, protest, challenge, enjoyment or terrorism. It is a complicated charge, requiring experienced advocacy from a computer hacking attorney.
- EmbezzlementThe crime of embezzlement is a felony under both Florida and federal law. Generally classified as a crime of dishonesty, embezzlement is when one converts (steals) money or property of another and uses it for their own benefit. Embezzlement is most often seen in banking, business relationships (funneling corporate assets into personal accounts or for personal use), the legal field (lawyers embezzling from client trust accounts), and other professional relationships (financial advisors embezzling from investment accounts). However, embezzlement can occur in almost any situation where assets of another are entrusted with someone, and then the person to whom those assets are entrusted obtains and uses the assets for their own benefit; thus depriving the true owner of their property.
- Drug CrimesShall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 25 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate an act of international terrorism (as defined in section 2331 of this title)), 20 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined in section 929(a) of this title)), 10 years (in the case of the first or second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facilitate such an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 15 years (in the case of any other offense), or both.
- Assault
- Murder
- Identity TheftFederal law enforcement typically charges financial crimes involving fraud by claiming that fraudulent statements were made to obtain money or property. Federal credit card fraud is such an offense and often takes the form of identity theft involving the unauthorized use of another person’s credit card information for financial gain. Charged as identity theft, aggravated identity theft, or wire fraud, federal agencies, including the Secret Service and FBI, are usually responsible for conducting the investigation for referrals to the Department of Justice.
- Homicide
- Arson
- ForgeryThe crime of forgery is a felony under both Florida and federal law. Forgery is when one falsely makes, alters, forges or counterfeits a document while intending to injure or defraud some person or firm. In other words, a forgery is the action of creating or producing a replica, or facsimile of a document, signature, banknote, coins, artwork or like items that purports to be the bonafide original when it is not. Uttering a forgery is when one tries to pass off the forgery as real to another individual or entity. Uttering is a separate and distinct crime because of the additional requirement that it be “passed off,†but it is punishable as a felony just the same as forgery. Most often, forgery occurs with checks, money, money orders, deeds, contracts or loan documents. Forgery laws also apply to those in possession of counterfeited materials such as money, coins or art.
- Money Laundering€œBlack market peso†cases are essentially money laundering cases. Typically, illegal drugs are exchanged for U.S. currency by drug traffickers. Then, the money is given to someone who performs similar duties as a broker would perform, exchanging money. The “broker†has runners take the U.S. currency to currency exchange sites in amounts under $10,000 to avoid suspicious transaction reporting, and has it exchanged for pesos. After taking a cut, the “broker†delivers the money to the drug traffickers.
- Kidnapping
- ProstitutionHuman trafficking is often referred to as a type of modern-day slavery. In many cases, human trafficking involves the transportation of people in order to engage them in sexual activity, such as prostitution. As a result, sex trafficking statutes are applied. Both federal and Florida laws include heavy fines and severe criminal penalties, including potential mandatory/minimum sentences of up to 25 years and maximum potential sentences of up to life. Mr. Petruzzi has represented numerous individuals charged with, or under investigation for, human trafficking offenses by both federal and state authorities. His experience and knowledge serve as an invaluable asset to his clients.
- AntitrustAntitrust violations occur when there are actions that restrain business competition. Antitrust laws such as the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clayton Act make it a crime to restrain interstate or foreign commerce and to have monopolies and anti-competitive agreements. Antitrust crimes can include predatory pricing (this occurs when a business sets an extremely low price on a product in order to stop any new suppliers from also entering the market) and price fixing (this occurs when competitors make agreements regarding the prices of products).
- Employment Contract(a) “Financial harm†includes extortionate extension of credit, loan sharking as defined in s. 687.071, or employment contracts that violate the statute of frauds as provided in s. 725.01.