DC Federal Bribery Penalties
There are several factors that can impact DC federal bribery penalties including the amount of the bribe and the amount of the loss resulting from the bribe. However, even the penalties for the lowest level offenses are steep. A skilled federal bribery lawyer can work to fight the charges you are facing and work toward the best possible outcome in your case.
Penalties for Federal Bribery
A person charged with federal bribery can face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or three times the amount of the bribe, whichever is greater. For example, if a person is convicted of bribery and the value of the bribe is one million dollars, then the maximum fine the person could face would be up to three million dollars or three times the value of the bribe. An attorney can further explain how the penalties for a bribe are determined.
The value of a bribe or an illegal gratuity can also have an impact on a person’s sentencing guideline. Even though the maximum penalty a person could face if convicted of a bribe or an illegal gratuity does not change based on the value, the value of a bribe can be used to calculate the loss amount to the government as a result of the bribery or gratuity scheme. The higher the government’s loss amount, the higher a sentencing recommendation under the United States voluntary sentencing guidelines.
Aggravating Factors in DC
The main aggravating factor in a federal bribery case is the loss amount to the government. The loss amount does not necessarily need to mean the value of the alleged bribe. The government can calculate a loss amount based on any amount that they believe they lost as a result of the bribery scheme.
For example, if a person is accused of paying a procurement officer at a federal agency in exchange for that procurement officer steering federal contracts to a specific company, the value of the bribes would only be considered one part of the government’s loss amount. The full loss amount could also include the full value of the federal contracts. So, if the person is accused of paying a federal agency employee $10,000 to steer a five million dollar contract in a certain direction, the full value of that federal contract would be used to calculate the government’s loss.
As stated above, a higher loss amount would increase the possible penalties that a person could face if they are found guilty of bribery. The loss amount is one consideration in a person’s sentencing guidelines but it can result in prosecutors seeking much higher penalties including much longer prison sentences.
Discuss DC Federal Bribery Penalties with an Attorney
The DC federal bribery penalties can be steep. Depending on the specific circumstances, bribery charges can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and years in jail. To learn more about the penalties and the factors that influence them, reach out to an experienced attorney today for a consultation.