Pittsburgh Wire Fraud Lawyer

Wire Fraud Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA

Facing charges of wire fraud can be emotionally stressful and can threaten your reputation, monetary assets, and freedom. A Pittsburgh wire fraud lawyer at Ryan R. Smith Law Offices can provide you with the support you need to protect your name, resources, and liberty.

What Is Wire Fraud?

Wire fraud is a white-collar crime that includes electronic communication, such as emails, telephone calls, or digital transactions, and is also referred to as cybercrime.

Some wire fraud occurs as a mistake. For instance, if a transaction is flagged as suspicious but is a legitimate exchange. Many facing these charges may have been linked to the suspicious activity through no fault of their own. A Pittsburgh wire fraud lawyer is essential for protecting yourself against these allegations.

Between 2020 and 2024, over $50 billion was reported lost in the United States to the FBI’s Internet Crime Reporting Center. There is a financial incentive to wire fraud; however, the penalties far outweigh the benefits. Our skilled Pittsburgh wire fraud lawyer can investigate the evidence gathered by the prosecution to gain insight into the defense most advantageous to your case. 

In Pennsylvania, wire fraud is a federal crime prosecuted by the federal government, which can impose a prison sentence of up to 20 years and may demand thousands of dollars in fines. Hiring a Pittsburgh wire fraud lawyer is a smart move to protect your freedom and assets.

Types of Wire Fraud

There are several types of wire fraud, and it’s important to note that you may be charged with more than one instance of wire fraud if you are accused of engaging in more than one type. Scammers cost Pennsylvanians billions of dollars yearly, so it’s in the government’s interest to bring as many charges as possible against a defendant to make an example.

Wire fraud can look like:

• “Phishing”: mass emails to steal personal information
• Mail fraud: false charity donations, tax scams, fake loan programs
• Telemarketing scams: telephone calls for the purposes of identity theft or other types of fraud

At Ryan R. Smith Law Offices, our legal team is familiar with this area of criminal law, and we dedicate ourselves to presenting a strong defense for our clients. If you are accused of more than one type of wire fraud, your sentences could be compounded, and the laws can be even more complex. Hiring our wire fraud lawyer is essential for presenting an early and calculated defense.

Hire a Wire Fraud Lawyer to Protect Your Liberty

The bottom line is that wire fraud charges come with severe penalties. Your freedom is at stake. Your reputation may be, too, even if you didn’t mean to cause loss to the victim. In May 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decided in Kousisis v. United States that an executive can be held liable for wire fraud even if they did not intend to cause the victim loss.

If you’ve been charged with wire fraud, you are not on your own. When you hire a wire fraud lawyer from Ryan R. Smith Law Offices, we can help you understand your charges, and we take an individual approach to your case. We can interview the parties involved as well as witnesses, gather financial data, and review the prosecution’s evidence and procurement procedures.

We are skilled, aggressive, and client-centered, and we can work to get your charges dropped or reduced with our pre-trial motion experience and courtroom prowess.

FAQs

Is Wire Fraud Hard to Prove?

While wire fraud itself isn’t necessarily hard to prove, prosecutors do have to gather enough evidence to prove you had the intention to defraud the government. There are often paper trails, such as bank statements, credit card statements, and wire transfers. Prosecutors must prove that you had a plan to deceive, intent to deceive, and, for federal cases, that the scam crossed state or national borders.

How Can You Beat a Wire Fraud Case?

To beat a wire fraud case, you are going to need a skilled Pittsburgh wire fraud lawyer. At Ryan R. Smith Law Offices, we understand the nuances of the law, and we have the experience litigating criminal cases that you want in a wire fraud lawyer. Our unique approach includes getting to know our client personally and representing their specific needs in court. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all, generic solution, but a targeted defense.

Who Investigates Bank Wire Fraud in Pittsburgh?

Bank wire fraud in Pittsburgh is often investigated by multiple agencies working together, but it begins with a complaint to the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Department of Justice, either from an individual or a financial institution. When the FBI and/or DOJ investigate, they may require help from the IRS or SEC to analyze data and gather evidence. During this time, it’s important to contact a lawyer.

Is Restitution a Penalty for a Wire Fraud Conviction?

Yes, restitution is a common penalty for a wire fraud conviction, and in many cases, it is mandatory. A person convicted of wire fraud is ordered by the court to repay the victims for financial losses. This is in addition to any fines and prison time. Restitution can be collected from any and all earnings until it is paid off, even while you are incarcerated.

Ryan R. Smith Law Offices Is Here for You

At Ryan R. Smith Law Offices, our wire fraud lawyer has been a criminal defense attorney for over 25 years. He is well-known and well-respected in both the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and federal cases at the William S. Moorhead Federal Building.

Mr. Smith is highly skilled in courtroom advocacy and case strategy and is well-known for achieving favorable outcomes for clients. When you hire our firm, you hire a personal attorney who attends to your case with meticulous preparation, pre-trial motions, and a fierce but strategic defense. Contact our Pittsburgh wire fraud lawyer today for an initial consultation. We are ready to listen to your story.