Finding out that you are under suspicion of committing a crime can be scary. Law enforcement uses various tactics to gather information about their suspects. Part of the process is a pre-file investigation which involves gathering evidence against an individual to prove that they are guilty of a specific crime.
Law enforcement does not always tell you that they suspect you. If you believe you are being secretly investigated by the police, get in touch with a Houston criminal defense lawyer today. An attorney can protect you against allegations. Thankfully there are a few telltale signs that can tip you off.
Signs you may be under criminal investigation
- You receive a target letter.
When you are under a criminal investigation in Houston, you will probably receive a target letter from the federal prosecution. The letter will ask you to cooperate with the investigation and contact the federal office to speak with them. When you receive the letter, you should contact the federal office immediately. Before you speak with them, do not share any information or answer questions with the investigator.
- The police are requesting information from your friends.
If your friend, family member, co-worker, neighbor, or another person you know is contacted to answer questions about you, you may be under criminal investigation. Usually, the authorities contact the close ones of the target person to obtain information. This is generally a big sign of an investigation.
- The police are lurking around your home and workplace.
If you see police officers every time you go out or outside the windows of your home or workplace, it may not be coincidental. The police do this to keep a close eye on you to obtain a good amount of information. If you see police cars all the time, you should look into the matter to determine what is happening.
- A federal investigator shows up at your residence.
One of the most obvious signs that you are under federal criminal investigation is having a federal investigator directly show up at the place of your residence. For most people, this is the first sign that they are under investigation and need to hire an attorney.
- Your bank accounts are frozen.
In some cases, though rare, a person may receive a notification from the bank saying that their bank account information was shared. However, such situations are rare because the companies are not supposed to tell the target person even if the information was shared. But this is generally a major red flag that some government agency is looking for you.