Credit Card Fraud Attorney in Tri-Cities, WA
Facing Credit Card Fraud Allegations? We Know Where Their Case Is Weakest.
If you’ve been contacted by police, received a letter from a bank’s fraud department, or been formally charged, you need a credit card fraud attorney who understands exactly what the state has to prove, and exactly where their case is weakest. Credit card fraud charges move fast in Washington, and prosecutors often overcharge based on incomplete bank records or assumptions about intent. You deserve a defense built on the facts, not on what a detective assumed.
- Flat-rate fees
- Flexible payment plans available
What Counts as Credit Card Fraud in Washington
Credit card fraud isn’t one single charge, it’s a cluster of offenses under Washington’s theft and financial crimes statutes. Depending on the facts, you could be charged under RCW 9A.56.290, which covers scanning devices, reencoders, and unlawful factoring of card transactions, or under RCW 9A.56.320, which addresses unlawful possession of counterfeit cards or other financial fraud instruments. If someone else’s identifying information was involved, prosecutors may add a charge under RCW 9.35.020, Washington’s identity theft statute, which carries its own felony penalties separate from the fraud charge itself. Stacking multiple charges from a single incident is common, and it’s one of the first things a credit card fraud attorney should challenge.
These aren’t abstract statutes here. In Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties, credit card fraud cases often start with something ordinary, a shared card between family members, a small business dispute over an authorized purchase, or a skimmer found at a gas station in the Tri-Cities. The law doesn’t automatically distinguish between a scammer and someone who made an honest mistake. A credit card fraud attorney’s job is to make sure the court does.
The Risks You're Facing
Depending on the dollar amount and whether the case is charged as factoring, possession of fraud instruments, or straight theft, you could be looking at a gross misdemeanor or a class B or C felony. Felony convictions in this category can mean years of incarceration, restitution, and a permanent mark on your record that follows you into employment, housing, and licensing decisions for the rest of your life. If you work in agriculture, at the Hanford site, or in any field requiring a security clearance or background check, a credit card fraud conviction can end that career before you’ve had a chance to fight it. That’s why bringing in a credit card fraud attorney early, before charges are even filed, matters as much as it does after an arrest.
How Gideon's Associates Builds Your Defense
Charlie Dow spent years as a prosecutor before founding this firm, and he’s seen these cases built from the other side of the table. That background means he knows which pieces of a fraud case are solid and which are assumptions dressed up as evidence, whether it’s a bank’s incomplete transaction log, a lack of proof of intent to defraud, or a case where consent to use the card was implied but never formally revoked. As your credit card fraud attorney, he uses that insight to challenge the state’s theory before it ever reaches a jury.
A strong defense might focus on lack of intent, mistaken identity in card-not-present transactions, improper chain of custody for digital evidence, or an unlawful search that turned up the alleged fraud instruments in the first place. This overlaps closely with the broader theft crimes defense work the firm handles across Eastern Washington, since credit card fraud is charged under the same title of the criminal code as general theft. Every case is different, and a credit card fraud attorney who treats yours like a template is doing you a disservice.
Gideon’s Associates also believes a credit card fraud attorney shouldn’t be out of reach because of cost. The firm offers flat-rate fees, monthly payment plans, sliding scale pricing, and pro bono representation for clients who qualify, so working families across the Columbia Basin don’t have to choose between a real defense and their next paycheck.
What Our CLient's Say
Frequently Asked Questions
Is credit card fraud a felony in Washington?
It can be. Charges range from a gross misdemeanor up to a class B felony, depending on the specific statute involved and whether it’s a first or subsequent offense. A credit card fraud attorney can review your charging documents and tell you exactly what you’re facing and why.
Can I be charged if I didn't know the card or account was unauthorized?
Intent to defraud is a required element in most of these charges. If you genuinely didn’t know a card was stolen, counterfeit, or being used without authorization, that’s a defense worth building, not an assumption you should let the state make for you.
What if the alleged fraud happened between family members or a business partner?
These cases are common in the Tri-Cities and often come down to a dispute over authorization rather than criminal intent. A credit card fraud attorney can push back on charges that treat a civil disagreement like a criminal scheme.
How much does a credit card fraud attorney cost?
Gideon’s Associates offers flat-rate fees, monthly payment plans, and sliding scale pricing based on income, with pro bono representation available for clients who qualify.
What should I do if I'm being investigated but haven't been charged yet?
Talk to a credit card fraud attorney before you speak with investigators or the bank’s fraud department. Anything you say can shape whether charges get filed at all.
Talk to an credit card fraud Attorney Today
Serving the Tri-Cities and Beyond
From the Benton County Justice Center in Kennewick to courts in Franklin and Walla Walla Counties, Gideon’s Associates represents clients throughout Eastern Washington. Whether your case involves a family dispute over a shared card, a small business owner accused of processing fraudulent transactions, a credit card fraud attorney from this firm will know the local prosecutors, the local judges, and the local court procedures that shape how these cases actually play out.
If you’re facing a credit card fraud investigation or charge in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, or Walla Walla, don’t wait for the state to build its case uncontested. Contact Gideon’s Associates today to talk through what you’re facing. You deserve to be heard and relentlessly protected.
