In Maryland, there are many crimes related to credit cards. As a result, it is common for police and Maryland prosecutors to charge several crimes if a person is arrested in St. Mary’s County, MD., for credit card-related criminal behavior. This is done because the prosecutors CAN file multiple charges if supported by the facts in the case, by filing multiple charges, the prosecutors enhance their chances of obtaining at least one conviction, and for the reasons that multiple charges help in plea bargaining negotiations.

For example, at the least serious level, there are a couple of crimes related to falsely or criminally obtaining a credit card. Maryland Criminal Code, §8–203 makes it a crime to fraudulently procure a credit card with false identity information. The next subsection makes it a crime to steal a credit card or knowingly receive a stolen credit card. A person who violates either section can be jailed for up to 18 months or given a fine of up to $500 or both. 

Since more serious credit card crimes often depend on one of these methods of obtaining the card to begin with, one of these is almost always charged in addition to the more serious crimes. Note that there is also a large overlap with identity theft crimes, which, again, allows prosecutors to “hit” a defendant with half a dozen or more charges for one set of criminal actions. This is why it is crucial to have experienced and aggressive criminal defense attorneys working for you. If you have been arrested, call the Law Office of Robert Castro. Call us at (301) 870-1200 or use our contact page. We are St. Mary’s County, MD., criminal defense lawyers with offices in Waldorf, Maryland.

Other credit card crimes include:

• Counterfeiting a credit card (or altering an existing one) — conviction can lead to imprisonment not exceeding 15 years or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both; Md. Crim. Code, §8–205
• Using a stolen or fraudulent obtained credit card to obtain goods and/or services — the most common credit card crime – punishments depend on the value of the goods and/or services stolen; for example, if the value is less than $100, imprisonment can be up to 90 days or a fine not exceeding $500 or both; if the value exceeds $100,000, could be as much as 20 years or a fine not exceeding $25,000 or both; Md. Crim. Code, §8–206
• Committing fraud — by a business, for example — in providing the goods and/or services allegedly charged to a credit card — punishments similar to Section 8-206; Md. Crim. Code, §8–207
• Knowingly receiving stolen goods from another who used a stolen or fraudulent credit card to obtain goods — punishments similar to Section 8-206; Md. Crim. Code, §8–209

Note that “credit card” is broadly defined in these statutes to include other types of payment cards — like a debit card — and, in some cases, even cards like a gift card. Further, the key is not the physical card but the number or code that enables the ability to obtain goods and/or services. Thus, having the numbers and codes and using such to obtain goods and/or services via phone or the internet will also be deemed a credit card crime.

Contact Waldorf, Maryland Criminal Defense Lawyer Robert Castro Today

This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland criminal defense lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Criminal Defense lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD 20601.