why would attorney general send me a letter

by Kane Harris Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 4 min read

A target letter is commonly used in white collar cases and it is a way for the federal government to notify you that you are a target of a criminal investigation. A target is defined by the United States Attorney's Office as someone against whom there is substantial evidence.

What happens after I receive a letter from the Attorney General?

In addition, AB 1583, which takes effect January 1, 2018, requires the Attorney General's Office to send a letter to the noticing party and alleged violator if, after reviewing the factual information attached to the Attorney General's copy of a certificate of merit and meeting and conferring with the noticing party, the Attorney General believes there is no merit to the action.

Is it scary to receive a letter from the US Attorney’s office?

Jul 13, 2018 · It may be related to employment or business that you did with a company they are investigating that they either want information about, or there was a settlement and they are trying to find you as a result. The AG's office does not prosecute individuals.

How can I get the Attorney General involved in a case?

Jul 23, 2016 · Posted on Jul 24, 2016. It is likely that the letter is a Notice of Probate of Will. Since that mailing was made, it takes the place of Waiver signed by you. Even if you don't sign for the letter and it is returned to the attorney, that will constitute service of the Notice to you.

Why would an Attorneys General commence an investigation?

Attorneys send certified letters so they have proof that: A. They sent the letter B. You received the letter Lawyers like to have proof for the court that they did what they are supposed to do. Having proof that they sent something and/or that you received it is often very important.

What does the U.S. Attorney general investigate?

The attorney general, in essence, runs a large law firm with broad scope that includes investigating drug traffickers, Medicaid fraud and prescription drug abuse.Apr 24, 2016

Why do prosecutors send letters?

A target letter essentially notifies you that a criminal investigation focuses on you. Most often, prosecutors use target letters in white-collar cases. You may already be aware of an investigation against you because federal agents have tried to question you, or the letter may come as a surprise.

Why would I receive a letter from the Department of Defense?

During a criminal investigation for a federal offense, a suspect could receive a letter informing them they are the “target” in a criminal investigation. These type of letters are common in the investigation of white collar crimes, but are also used for other types of crimes, such as federal drug offenses.Feb 25, 2020

What's a target letter?

As its name suggests, a target letter is a notice from the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal prosecutor that you are the target of a criminal investigation. Target letters contain information on the crime being investigated, and they include instructions on what they expect you to do next.

Can a letter be used as evidence?

Evidence is anything you use to prove your claim. Evidence can be a photograph, a letter, documents or records from a business, and a variety of other things. All evidence that is properly admitted will be considered by the judge or jury. Evidence is more believable and trustworthy than what a person says.

What is a target of an investigation?

• Target: The term “target of an investigation” is also specifically defined by the DOJ. A person is a target where the prosecutor or Grand Jury has substantial evidence linking him to the commission of a crime. Designation as a target provides a clear warning of a person's criminal exposure.Jun 8, 2021

Why would someone get a letter from the FBI?

The letter informs the recipient of the nature of the charges being investigated (e.g. insider trading, wire fraud, etc.). Target letters are sometimes sent during the target or pre-indictment phase of a white-collar crime investigation.

How is a target letter delivered?

How are target letters delivered? You will not receive a target letter via US mail. Federal Agents usually deliver the letter in person. When Federal Agents deliver the letter they may attempt to interview you.Jun 13, 2021

How do you know if you are under federal investigation?

Probably the second most common way people learn that they're under federal investigation is when the police execute a search warrant at the person's house or office. If the police come into your house and execute a search warrant, then you know that you are under investigation.

What is a target letter from a prosecutor?

A target letter is the means by which the federal government informs individuals that they are targets for criminal prosecution. In the simplest terms, it means the federal prosecutor believes the recipient has committed a crime.

Why would the United States District Court send me a letter?

Receiving a certified letter from a court official means that the court has communicated with you concerning whichever legal issue is relevant. Courts can use written missives to communicate with you for several reasons; usually they take the form of an order or summons to appear before a judge.

Keith G Langer

It is odd that the AG's office would be calling, unless it was in response to your contacting it first. If that were the case, it would presumably have the current information, which you provided.

David M Owens

It may be related to employment or business that you did with a company they are investigating that they either want information about, or there was a settlement and they are trying to find you as a result. The AG's office does not prosecute individuals.

What is the purpose of a letter to the Attorney General?

The Attorney General is responsible for prosecuting violations of the law under their jurisdiction. Writing a letter to the Attorney General is a last recourse in most situations. The Attorney General is only likely to respond to questions that are of wide public significance. Large scale consumer fraud or protests over public policy are the most appropriate subjects for such a letter.

What does a letter from the Attorney General's Office mean?

Depending on your situation, the letter will let you know that the Attorney General's office is reviewing your complaint and working toward a resolution.

How to write a letter to a friend?

Start with an overview of the situation. Begin your letter with an introductory paragraph identifying yourself and stating your reasons for writing the letter. You will provide a brief introduction to the circumstances that prompted you to write your letter within this initial paragraph.

What to write in a complaint to the Attorney General?

Describe steps you have taken. If you have already complained to the company or reached out to other government agencies, you should make the Attorney General aware of this. It is important to indicate that the responsible party is aware of the situation. Also detail any other steps you plan to take in the future.

What should the address of the Attorney General of a State be?

For the Attorney General of a State address the envelop: The Honorable/ (Full name)/Attorney General of (Name of State)/ (Address). The salutation of the letter should read: Dear Attorney General (last name).

How to protest a federal law?

Register a protest. If you are upset with federal or state legal policy, you can send a letter of protest. When sending such a letter, you should make sure that you send it to the correct jurisdiction. For state issues, send the letter to the state Attorney General; for national issues send it to the US Attorney General.

How does wikihow mark an article as reader approved?

wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 90% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.

What does it mean to mail a certified letter?

What I can tell you for certain: the mailing of the certified letter means that (a) the lawyer wants to make sure that you get the letter - or that you become aware that it was mailed to you; and (b) the lawyer wants to have proof that he mailed you the letter.

Why is my father's will probated?

You are entitled to be notified by certified mail that your father's will is being probated because you would be entitled to inherit if there had not been a will. They sent you a waiver to try to save the cost of the certified mail. Since you didn't sign and return the waiver, they are sending the notice of probate of will to you by certified mail, ...

What is a waiver of a right?

A waiver in this instance is an agreement to give up a particular right. Often, but not always, the right to sue someone in particular. But not necessarily.

What is a waiver of a contract?

But not necessarily.#N#Generally, the right has to be give up in exchange for something of value for the agreement to be enforceable, as with any other contract.

Why do we need a certified letter?

Sometimes, it's just done out of habit, but typically, it’s done because (1) certified letters contain a form of tracking to confirm that the recipient in fact received the letter in question and (2) many procedural rules require certain documents to be sent by certified letter (or list certified letter as one acceptable option of several).

What does a receipt do for a post office?

The only thing the receipt does is eliminate the argument that the Post Office lost the mail. I do a lot of wage claims. The first step is a notice letter, after which the employer has 12 days to pay wages or the claim for penalty wages increases.

What does a certified mail receipt mean?

A certified mail receipt only proves someone signed for an envelope. The person sending the envelope still has to testify that they put a specific letter in the envelope. If an attorney is sending a letter to someone they think is going to lie about receiving it, the person can still say “yes, I received that, but the envelope was empty.”.

When to use certified mail?

I use certified mail when a statute or rule requires it. I think it is dumb, otherwise. A certified mail receipt only proves someone signed for an envelope. The person sending the envelope still has to testify that they put a specific letter in the envelope. If an attorney is sending a letter to someone they think is going to lie about receiving it, the person can still say “yes, I received that, but the envelope was empty.” The only thing the receipt does is eliminate the argument that the Post Office lost the mail.

What happens if there is no response to a question?

If no response, you move for a directed verdict and a default judgement.

Can an addressee pick up a letter?

Addressee may not timely pick up the letter for whatever reason. Or addressee may have an idea of the letter’s subject and purpose, and not pick it up. After a period of time, the USPS will return the letter to the attorney-sender.

Can an attorney send a letter by certified mail?

By sending a letter by certified mail the attorney will have proof the post office accepted the letter. The post office will give attorney a receipt for the letter with a tracking number s/he can use by going online to follow the letter’s transmission through the mails.

What is a target letter for an attorney?

Letters from the U.S. Attorney’s Office often include explanatory instructions for how the recipient should respond to the letter . Target letters will typically give information about how the targets may contact the Assistant U.S. Attorney assigned to their cases. Investigative letters usually contain instructions about how to properly respond to their production requests. Such directions may include the types of formats that electronic files may be produced in or how the files should be labeled. The instructions may also ask recipients to include a cover letter with their productions and explain what details are included in said cover letter. Most letters will include a section labeled “Definitions” that instructs the recipient about how to interpret keywords within the text of the requests.

What is a target letter?

Another type of letter that can be issued from the United States Attorney’s Office is a “target letter.”. Target letters inform the recipients that they are the target of a federal investigation, which means that the government intends to press civil or criminal charges against that person.

What do federal prosecutors do?

Usually, federal agents will handle investigative tasks, such as interviewing witnesses or executing search warrants, and then the United States Attorney’s Office will rely on those investigative efforts of the federal agents to build a case for trial.

Why do federal prosecutors resemble sharks?

Federal prosecutors sometimes resemble sharks, because they are frequently unwilling to abandon even fruitless investigations unless they draw some blood. Fortunately, we know how to handle these types–– in fact, many of our clients have been shocked to learn that their investigations have been closed with zero civil or criminal liability. Still, others have been pleasantly surprised when what was once an existential threat is transformed into a manageable inconvenience.

What is the federal law on subpoenas?

Federal law limits the types of requests that the U.S. Attorney’s Office can make and the scope of the documentation that it can request. Nevertheless, the requests contained in civil investigative demands and grand jury subpoenas often exceed the appropriate boundaries of what can be asked for.

What do federal agents do?

Oftentimes, federal agents will handle investigative tasks, such as interviewing witnesses or executing search warrants, and then the United States Attorney’s Office will rely on those investigative efforts of the federal agents to build a case for trial.

Where to contact former state and federal prosecutors?

Attorney’s Office, you should contact the former state and federal prosecutors at Oberheiden, P.C. today. You can reach one of our senior attorneys seven days a week, including weekends. Oberheiden, P.C.

What to do if you receive a letter of inquiry from the state attorney general?

If your company does receive a letter of inquiry from a state attorney general, you need to respond. Unlike some things in life, ignoring it will not make it go away. This is when it will have been really helpful to have previously established a relationship with the attorney general. If your company has that relationship, the attorney general may notify you before making the inquiry public so that your company will have the opportunity to resolve unfounded accusations quietly before any reputational damage is incurred.

How to deal with a state attorney general?

Your company should retain a lawyer who regularly assists companies in addressing issues with state attorneys general—preferably a lawyer with a very strong relationship with the specific attorney (or attorneys) general who issued the inquiry. Often, a former state attorney general will be best positioned to navigate the legal process with the office of a current state attorney general. The lawyer who helped your company negotiate a commercial lease for your office space or who defended a recent class action most likely does not have the skill set or the connections to ensure that your company is put in the most favorable light possible during the course of the attorney general’s investigation. You should also consider whether to let your industry association know about an inquiry from a state attorney general. Other companies may be receiving the same types of inquiries, and your industry association may already be coordinating a response.

What gives a state attorney general the authority to launch an investigation in the first place?

But, considering that federal regulators are already monitoring the supplements industry, what gives a state attorney general the authority to launch an investigation in the first place? State attorneys general derive their authority to regulate the supplements industry primarily from their state’s laws against unfair and deceptive acts and practices (the “UDAP” statutes), as well as each state’s Consumer Protection Act. State UDAP statutes prohibit unfair or deceptive acts and practices in consumer transactions. This somewhat nebulous and subjective standard allows for wide-ranging interpretations of what is unfair or deceptive, and state regulators often enforce this standard far more aggressively than the FTC enforces the analogous federal UDAP law. Your company should absolutely not assume that compliance with the federal UDAP law is sufficient to ensure compliance with all state UDAP statutes.

How to avoid being an investigatory target?

The easiest way to minimize your company’s chances of becoming an investigatory target is to reduce and resolve consumer complaints about your company’s products. If you make a quality product and you do not give consumers unreasonable expectations about the product by making misleading claims when advertising it, your customers will likely not file complaints. But when you do get a complaint, you need to take it seriously, even if you think the complaint has no merit. Chances are that other customers have the same complaint as the one that contacted you, and, if customers feel that your company is not doing anything to address their complaints, it is only a matter of time before someone will bring it to the state consumer protection division. Thus, you need to work with your customers to resolve any complaints that they may have.

How does an unfavorable story in the press affect the Attorney General?

An unfavorable story in the press is the second most common way for a company to become the target of a state Attorney General investigation. This avenue for becoming a target dovetails with the consumer complaints path in that a story about a consumer complaint is not likely to generate press coverage unless it indicates a broader pattern of complaints. Sometimes a news story can generate an attorney general investigation because, if a reporter asks the attorney general’s office what is being done about the issue in the news story, the attorney general will rarely want to respond, “nothing.”

Why are state attorneys general important?

State attorneys general are highly motivated to protect consumers and to do so visibly, as they are elected by popular vote in 43 states. For this reason, state attorneys general frequently have the incentive to go after the smaller actors in the supplements industry that may not be as much of a priority for federal regulators.

How long does a company stay under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General?

Finally, your company should consider the fact that it will remain under the jurisdiction of the attorney general for as long as the company is in business or the attorney general is in office. In fact, senior staff in the attorney general’s office may stay on into the term of the next attorney general. In other words, because you may have to deal with your attorney general again in the future, you need to stay on good terms with him or her even while responding to the allegations against you.