Back in March of 2018 I was arrested for financial

Hi, my name is ***** ***** welcome to Just Answer.

It's great to hear that you have made such strides in getting your life together...congratulations on your marriage, and tell your husband "thank you" for his service.

Financial Transactions Fraud covers a wide range of conduct and penalties. The Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) section 16-9-33 outlines the crime.

• If the amount of money or property taken is less than $100 in a six month period, the penalty is a fine of up to $1,000 and/or a prison term of 1 to 2 years.
• If the amount of money and/or property is more than $100 in a six month period, the penalty goes up to a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a prison term of 1 to 5 years.

What they're going to be looking at is what you've been doing for the past two years. It's nice that you've gotten your life together, but have you made any attempt to repay the fraud victim, write a letter of apology, sign up for any kind of counseling, etc.? Start thinking about showing the court that you're just as concerned with making restitution and showing them that you have taken steps to never do it again as you've been with your own life. They want to see three things:

• No excuses or alibis. If you broke the law then admit it at an early stage and accept responsibility.
• Express remorse. Write an apology to the victim. Tell the judge. "I'm sorry I did this, your honor."
• Do something to show it won't happen again. Take a class. Counseling. Talk to your religious figure.

If you are eligible and suitable for probation, there is an interstate compact called ICAOS...Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision. Probation can be transferred anywhere with the approval of the probation departments on both ends.

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You're going to be ordered to pay restitution. Paying back the victim does not get you out of going to jail, but it helps. What gets you out of going to jail is showing up to court on time, following those three rules I wrote up there, paying back the victim early before the court orders you to, and LISTENING to EVERYTHING that everyone says, especially your attorney. Going to court is a confusing experience, things tend to happen quickly, and they speak a different language. LISTEN carefully to what is said. Ask your questions right then if you don't understand something. DO NOT just answer yes or no because your attorney tells you to. UNDERSTAND what you are saying and why you are saying it.

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NOW: Georgia has something called the First Time Offenders Act. Like it sounds, it's for first time offenders. You are marginally eligible...your fraud case is OK, but that obstruction may make a judge reluctant. Legally, obstruction will not disqualify you unless the officer was injured as a result of the obstruction. It doesn't sound like it. But discuss this program with your lawyer. It's not a free pass; you can still be sentenced to jail as a condition of probation. But with successful completion, you won't have a conviction.

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