Criminal Defense
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Flock License Plate Cameras in Missouri: Can Police Track Your Car?
Missouri police use Flock license plate cameras, usually without a warrant. What they record, the 2026 limits, and how the evidence is challenged.
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Felony Property Damage in Missouri
Breaking a window, keying a car, or damaging property in an argument can be a felony in Missouri. Knowingly damaging someone else’s property by more than $750 is first degree property damage, a class E felony, and damaging a vehicle while breaking into it to steal is a class D felony at any amount. This…
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Glock Switches and Machine Gun Charges in Federal Court
A small device that converts a handgun to fire automatically, often called a “Glock switch,” “auto sear,” or “conversion device,” is itself legally a machine gun. Possessing one, even without a gun, is a federal felony carrying up to 10 years, and a machine gun tied to a drug or violent crime triggers a 30-year…
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Straw Purchases and Lying on ATF Form 4473
Buying a gun for someone else, or answering a question falsely on the federal firearms form, can be a federal felony. Since 2022, federal law has a specific straw purchasing statute, 18 U.S.C. § 932, carrying up to 15 years, and lying on ATF Form 4473 has long been charged under 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6),…
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Drug Delivery and Distribution Charges in Missouri
In Missouri, selling, giving, or possessing drugs with intent to distribute is charged as delivery of a controlled substance, a class C felony in most cases. Delivery near a school, a park, or public housing is a class A felony, the same class as second degree murder. This guide covers delivery under RSMo 579.020 and…
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Involuntary Manslaughter in Missouri
Involuntary manslaughter is the charge Missouri uses when a death is caused without intent to kill, through recklessness or criminal negligence. It comes up in fatal car crashes, firearm accidents, overdose deaths, and other tragedies where no one meant for anyone to die. This guide covers first and second degree involuntary manslaughter under RSMo 565.024…
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Forgery, Credit Card Fraud, and Identity Theft in Missouri
Missouri’s fraud statutes cover forged documents, misused credit and debit cards, and stolen identities. Forgery is a felony at any value, while credit card fraud and identity theft become felonies based on how much was obtained. This guide covers forgery under RSMo 570.090, fraudulent use of a credit or debit device under RSMo 570.130, and…
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Federal Bank Fraud Charges in Missouri: 18 U.S.C. 1344
Federal bank fraud carries a maximum of 30 years in prison, one of the highest penalties for a federal fraud offense. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1344, it covers schemes to defraud a bank and schemes to obtain money from a bank by false pretenses, which can include check fraud, loan fraud, and schemes where the…
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Lying to Federal Agents: 18 U.S.C. 1001 False Statements
Lying to a federal agent is a federal crime, even if you are not under oath, even if the underlying investigation goes nowhere, and even if the false statement is a simple denial. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, a knowing and willful false statement in a federal matter carries up to five years in prison.…
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Robbery Charges in Missouri: First and Second Degree
Robbery is stealing by force. In Missouri, first degree robbery is a class A felony, punishable by 10 to 30 years or life, and it is a “dangerous felony” that generally requires serving 85 percent of a prison sentence before parole. It is frequently charged together with armed criminal action, which adds a consecutive sentence.…