Georgia High School Selects a Professional of the Year a Week Before He is Accused of Financial Transaction Card Fraud

Alpharetta High School selected Colin Renaldo as its “Professional of the Year,” and now he is facing Financial Transaction Card Fraud after spending over $4,000 on one of his colleague's card. Renaldo has allegedly admitted to making the charges on his colleague's card according to the reports and has been let go from his position at Alpharetta High School.

Fraud Crimes in Georgia cover a lot of different types of crimes. Anything from computer forgery in Georgia to false statement to police in Georgia. 

But the most common type of fraud crime in Georgia, however, deals with the fraudulent use of debit and credit cards. We are one of the highest ranking states in credit and debit card theft and fraud. 

Today, I will focus on financial transaction card fraud as that is what Renaldo is currently being accused of committing. 

Financial Transaction Card Fraud in Georgia

When someone uses another's credit or debit card without obtaining permission or consent from the owner and intends to defraud them, it is considered Financial Transaction Card Fraud. Moreover, Georgia also considers the use of a lost, forged, revoked, stolen, or expired card as Financial Transaction Card Fraud.

The Georgia Code defines Financial Transaction Card Fraud in Georgia as:

A person commits financial transaction card fraud when a person knowingly uses a credit or debit card without permission with the intent to defraud, obtains an account number that either doesn't exist, or acquires a card that was lost, stolen, forged, revoked, or expired through fraudulent means. O.C.G.A. §16-9-33.

Individuals are not the only people who can be charged with Financial Transaction Card Fraud. Businesses and their employees can also be found guilty if they know and accept a fraudulent transaction card or if they falsify a card receipt. 

The penalty for Financial Transaction Card Fraud depends on the value of the money and services in the following delineations.

• If it is less than $100.00 over 6 months, then the convicted person faces a fine of up to $1,000.00 or a 1-2 year prison term, or both. 
• If it is more than $100.00 over 6 months, then the convicted person will face a felony charge. The felony is a fine of up to $5,000.00 or a 1-5 year prison term, or both. Receiving a felony Financial Transaction Card Fraud charge will stay on his or her record, which means that the individual can be denied employment, credit, and/or housing. 

If you or a loved one has been charged with a Fraud Crime in Georgia, contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer today. As with any type of crime, no one should be assumed guilty just because he or she has been accused of a crime. Crimes involving fraud are serious and usually are punished by imprisonment. There are Georgia Criminal Defenses to fraud crimes, and our attorneys will work with you to figure out what best applies to your particular case. Contact us today.