Everyone already knows – breaking the law can get you into a lot of trouble with the cops. But stop and think about it for a minute… what do people usually do when they commit a crime? They cover it up, so no one knows it happened. Or at least, so that no one knows they were involved when it happened. In the movies that usually means tossing the murder weapon into a deep river in the middle of the night, or wrapping a dead body in chain link fence and dropping it into an isolated lake somewhere to “sleep with the fishes”. However, did you know that while committing a crime is illegal in Michigan, so is trying to cover it up?
Many people have been busted while trying to cover their tracks.
Covering up a crime takes ingenuity and recklessness, and no small amount of ‘chutzpah.’ Because let’s face it – there are so many variables you can’t control. Factors you can’t plan for, like the one person taking a late night stroll who happens to see you toss that gun off the bridge and reports it to the cops. Or the guy out walking his dog on that quiet, misty morning, who sees you park and dump a body into the lake. And that’s where things get complex. Because if you end up getting caught after making an effort to disguise your nefarious activity, now you’re on the hook for multiple crimes!
There are lots of ways people try to hide their “dirty deeds”
The fear of getting caught is often so strong that it drives people to do wild and poorly-thought out things in an effort to cover their own tracks. So let’s take a look at some of the more common ways people try to keep their lawlessness under wraps, and what the consequences are when they get busted. Because they almost always do – get busted, that is! Which is why covering up a crime is such a bad idea.
- Witness Tampering
This is when you’ve already been caught and charged with a crime, but you realize that maybe, just maybe, you can make the whole thing go away by convincing the prosecution’s star witness to change their story. Or simply not show up for court at all. Problem is, that’s called ‘Witness Tampering‘ and it’s illegal in Michigan.
Witness tampering can mean trying to bribe a witness, or threatening and intimidating a witness, or coercing a witness not to speak in court. Either way, it’s extremely illegal and you can get into a world of trouble. For example, witness tampering is a felony with a maximum penalty of 4 years in prison, a fine up to $5,000.00, or both. And the more serious the crime you’re accused of, the more serious your witness tampering charges are likely to be!
- Concealing the Death of an Individual
Killed someone? Not good. (Even if it was by accident, still not good!) Trying to cover up your crime by concealing the death? Even worse. Because here in Michigan, Concealing the death of an individual is illegal, even if you weren’t the person who caused them to die, and even if they actually died of natural causes. If someone dies, for any reason, and you know about it and don’t report it to the cops, you could be facing felony charges.
So as you can imagine, if you killed someone, even if it was an accident and you didn’t mean to, going to the trouble to conceal their death from the authorities can mean even more criminal charges. Specifically, Michigan law says that “A person who violates subsection (2) with the purpose of concealing the fact or cause of death of the individual is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.”
Don’t follow a bad choice with an even worse one by covering up a crime!
If you’re in over your head, or you’ve made a bad decision and now you don’t know what to do, don’t make things worse by trying to cover up your crimes. Instead, call The Kronzek Firm at 866 766 5245 (866 7NO JAIL) right now and talk to one of our experienced and compassionate criminal defense attorneys. We can help you figure out your next move, and prepare a strong, creative defense on your behalf.
Join us next time for a break down of even more ways people in Michigan try to hide their criminal activity with more crimes. And always remember – being charged with a crime is terrifying, and the future can seem so uncertain. But lying and sneaking around and breaking the law even more will only make things worse, not better. So make the right choice, and get the help and support you need during this difficult time. Our top ranked criminal defense team is available 24/7 by calling 1 866-766-5245 or email us at: contactus@kronzek.law