Signs You May Be Under Investigation in DC

Certain signs are evident when someone is under investigation by law enforcement in Washington, DC. It is essential that you consult with a DC criminal defense attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case if you believe that you are under investigation. Call today to learn more.

First Sign: A Person is Contacted by Law Enforcement

The first major sign that someone is being investigated for a crime is a phone call, a voice mail, or a card left at their door from a detective or other law enforcement official. This contact indicates that a person is under investigation or that authorities want to talk to a person about an investigation. In certain circumstances, a person may be a witness to a crime.

In general, however, this could potentially mean that the person is under investigation themselves.

Second Sign: Police Requested Information from a Person’s Friends

Another sign that a person may be under investigation is if they have a friend, coworker, or someone else in their life that was contacted by law enforcement requesting information about them. In this situation, you can assume that authorities want to speak with colleagues to see what information they can obtain about you. When this occurs, it is generally a major sign of a pending investigation.

Third Sign: A Person’s Accounts Are Frozen

In rare cases, a person may receive notification from a utility company or bank that states that their information was shared. This situation is rare because these companies are not supposed to contact the person. However, if someone receives this type of notification, this is a red flag that some government agency is looking into the person’s information.

Targeted by Law Enforcement

Law enforcement may target someone for investigation if they have received information that the person was involved in a crime. This information can come up in several ways, including being named or matching the description of someone that is believed to be involved in a crime. Most often, an investigation will commence because someone saw a person do something or accused the person of doing something.

A person may also be investigated if their name, property they own, or accounts that are related or tied to them pop up in the course of a criminal investigation. In certain circumstances, if a crime or fraudulent activity is committed but who is doing it is not immediately seen, then police will focus on the person if their name comes up as they come across documents or accounts or transactions that they are involved in.

Benefits of Contacting an Attorney

If someone suspects that they are being investigated, they will want to make sure that they do everything properly and avoid making any missteps along the way. The best way to accomplish this is by contacting an attorney. Many people are investigated and are accused of things they may not necessarily be involved in. For this reason, it is important to get a criminal defense attorney involved as soon as possible so that they can begin speaking with law enforcement to ensure that the person’s rights are protected.

No matter the situation, if a person believes they are being investigated by law enforcement, they absolutely should talk to an attorney.

Are there Drawbacks to Speaking with an Attorney?

You have nothing to lose by speaking with an attorney. Law enforcement and prosecutors understand that an individual has an absolute right to speak to an attorney, whether it is during an investigative phase or after an arrest is made. In these situations, you absolutely have the right to speak with an attorney and you cannot be penalized for exercising that right.